Unwavering Moon
by Thaanzer
Summary: In response to The Werewolf Challenge. Harry finds himself involved in yet another year of revolving changes. Secrets are revealed, family found and werewolves...
1. The Beginning

((A/N: This is in response to The Werewolf Challenge started by Tia Evans. Go check out her stories, they're very cool. The challenge is also posted in her bio incase you don't know what it entails.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, if I did, I'd be living in New Zealand with a nice laptop and writing in some of that beautiful scenery. Sue, you can have my college loan bills!))

* * *

_His body was drifting slowly through the misty area from behind the veil that was still so keenly visible to both deceased and living. Bellatrix's spell hadn't killed him, but more or less, was a stronger version of the Stunning Spell that had temporarily placed him incapable of motion and thus landed him through the veil. All he could think about though was if Harry made it out of the battle alive along with his friends. Sirius sighed and resigned himself now to his fate; it'd been his choice to come along even if the others had strongly encouraged him to stay behind. It just wasn't his personality to remain when others were needed elsewhere, especially when it was one of his friends or family that was in trouble. It would've been the way he'd prefer to go, rather than being handed over to the Ministry after being caught, or worse, the Dementor's Kiss. _

_ "My word, Sirius Black, what are you doing here?!" a woman's voice came from behind. "From what I've heard, you weren't supposed to end up in here for years yet! So what trouble did you manage to get yourself into that landed your sorry hide in here?"_

_ The man whipped his head around and gazed at the woman who was speaking to him and practically jumped back in surprise. "L-lily?" He asked faintly, trying to gather himself after the shock of seeing one of his old friends, but remained at a loss for words._

_ "Still the same cocky bastard you were all those years ago I see, can't even greet a lady properly," she teased him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "So really, how did you end up here?"_

_ Sirius felt his face heat up with embarrassment as he relayed the tale of the Department of Mysteries to his friend, and of course finishing with the spell from Bellatrix. He could see Lily's face lined with worry over her son in hopes that he was alright, but comforted her by mentioning that if he had died as well, most likely they would've already seen him appear from the veil. _

_ "Sirius? I need you to come with me and see James. There is something of importance that needs to be discussed," she said quietly, grabbing his hand and whisking him away from where they stood.  
_

* * *

Harry grimaced as he rolled over on his side. Sharp pains were shooting up his back from the recent car crash Vernon had gotten into while he too was in the vehicle. His aunt had been sick for the past week and was unable to go shopping for food, and with Vernon and Dudley's appetites, the ample amount of food remaining in the fridge had disappeared quickly. His uncle wasn't one to do the shopping himself so had dropped the boy off at the store with a strict list of items to get and a set amount of money that he expected proper change from and that he would check the receipt to make sure it was correct. There went Harry's chance at snatching a few items for himself. While the Dursleys hadn't been starving him, he certainly wasn't allowed to eat his fill when it came to the food on the table. But once the shopping was done and he'd loaded it into the car once Vernon had returned and had made it onto the road, a rather foolish person tried to pull out in front at an intersection which left the front of Vernon's car crushed.

So there he remain sprawled on the bed, back severely twisted out of alignment from the impact, dozens of cuts slicing his face from where the windshield had flown into the back seat where Harry had been sitting, and various bumps and bruises from flying groceries. While Vernon had been rushed off to the best hospital in the area, Harry had been shoved into his small room and left alone. While his back made it near impossible for him to walk, he was grateful for escaping without any broken bones.

Wincing in pain, he moved from the bed and over to the small desk to write the demanded letter from the Order, but this time, mentioned that he needed help, and desperately.

**_Dear Order, _**

_**As per your request, I am indeed writing once again. Normally I wouldn't ask you for this, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could send either a few healing potions or get me to St. Mungo's. This afternoon I was in a car crash, ask Ron or Hermione if needed, and while my uncle was taken to the hospital, I was left alone at the house with no care for my injuries. So I would deeply appreciate it if you could see fit to help me.**_

_**-Harry**_

As soon as he finished the brief note and tied it to Hedwig to deliver immediately, he leaned back on his bed and wished that they'd do something. He knew he needed medical attention and soon. Some of the cuts from the windshield still had imbedded pieces of glass in them and looked as if they could become infected if left untreated. He didn't know what had happened with his back, whether it was just whiplash or if something more serious had happened. But knowing that he'd at least sent for help, he placed his head on the pillow and within minutes, was in dreamless sleep.

* * *

Long, gnarled fingers rubbed his forehead while he read the letter from Harry in distress. While some would think perhaps the boy had been magnifying the situation, he could see faint stains of blood where hands had brushed paper and ever so lightly, dripped bits of the red fluid. The owl, Hedwig as he recalled, seemed a bit distressed as well from her agitated state of flying around the room. Dumbledore knew it was before Harry's birthday and could be risky to remove him from the Dursleys' care so soon, but to over look such injuries could clearly be seen as Child Neglect and punishable in a court of law.

Sighing despondently, he summoned Remus from his current room inside Hogwarts and asked him to come up to his office. The werewolf was concerned and made his way up hastily as normally one was not summoned on the spot by Dumbledore. The last time he had, it'd been when Harry and his friends had taken off to the Department of Mysteries, so his thoughts were leaning towards gloomy and frantic at the same time.

"Remus, it seems we have a bit of a situation on our hands," Albus started once the werewolf had entered the room, abandoning his normal offering of lemon drops even. Lupin's eyes locked with the Headmaster's immediately and wanted to know what was wrong. "Young Harry sent me a letter not that long ago that clearly states he is in need of help and possibly medical attention. While it is precarious to remove him so early from his relative's home, I fear that if we don't attend to his injuries, they may develop into something more life threatening."

With those words said, Remus discarded all common sense he had and rushed towards the door in haste, but was stopped by the door sealing itself to the point where it seemed as if it had actually disappeared.

"Remus, please sit down. While I know you are anxious to go collect young Harry, I believe it would be wise if you didn't go alone. I know you will not enjoy this, I'm asking for you to have Severus accompany you as he is excellent with those potions of his and if indeed Harry is as bad as the letter states, you may be in need of a few simple healing potions before you are even able to move him. So please wait a few moments as I summoned Severus as well just after yourself."

Indeed, not a moment later, Severus strode inside the room with the typical sneer placed firmly on his face as he glanced at the werewolf sitting disconcerted in one of the overstuffed purple chairs. "I believe you summoned me, Headmaster."

"Ahh, yes, indeed I did Severus. It would seem that your skills are needed, particularly in the shape of healing potions if you would be so kind." The Potions Master rolled his eyes in annoyance as he gathered several bottles of different colored fluids from inside the folds of his robe, to the surprise of the two inhabitants of the room.

"I always carry at least some basic ones with me, especially if the Dark Lord calls, I need to be able to heal myself enough to apparate myself back to Hogwarts," he explained with a scowl tugging at his lips.

"Yes, yes, of course. Anyhow, the reason I've requested your presence is because I received a letter from a Mister Harry Potter not too long ago which states that his wellbeing is not currently as best as it could be. I need both you and Remus to go check on him, and if need be, bring him back here so Poppy can treat him."

Severus raised an eyebrow in disbelief from what he was being asked to do. "Headmaster, with all due respect, I don't believe that Potter would in need of help with being at his relative's home. Somehow I don't see how the brat could get injured, and if he did, certainly they would have taken him somewhere to be treated."

"Perhaps, then, it's a good thing I'm sending you along. You need to get over this obsession of treating Harry just like James. While I am aware that they share an uncanny resemblance physically, their personalities couldn't be more than different. James was raised in a loving family environment where he thrived on fame and such, but Harry is indeed different. Let me just give you an overview of what I've seen from his childhood, Severus. The Dursleys referred to him as "The Boy," or "The Freak" until he was enrolled in a public institution where a name was required. Even then, his name was rarely used, and if it was, normally it was with such malice that it would make anyone cringe. For the first ten years of his life, until he received his Hogwarts letter, he was forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs that he shared in darkness with spiders. While they weren't physically abusive for the most part, he definitely was emotionally abused with growing up without love and attention while his cousin was doted upon by his aunt and uncle.

Imagine seeing someone your age being loved and then see the same people turn upon you and have them torture you with rather impossible chores for a boy his age and being fed whatever was left after a meal with two large men, and then sometimes being punished for accidental magic by not being allowed to eat for days. Severus, I'm not going to demand you change your attitude, all I'm asking is that you try and look beyond what you see and perhaps get to know him just a bit better before you make unjust accusations." Albus finished, his old age showing clearly in his face from what he'd just revealed.

"Let's go, Lupin," Severus countered coldly, sweeping out of the now unsealed room with his robes billowing behind as per the norm. Catching the hint, Remus dashed out as well, leaving Albus alone in the room with his thoughts.

* * *

A young man sprawled on his bed in pain from the blows he'd just received. While he, himself was an easy going lad, his father was another story. Ever since he'd been placed in Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin norm for the family, his father had taken it upon himself to teach his son a lesson. Wayne Hopkins could see that if he didn't get help soon, it'd be too late, if it already wasn't.

Numbly collecting a bit of parchment, he scribbled a couple of words for help and sent his owl off to whoever he could find first, and then fell back on the bed that was covered in his blood.

Once again that day Dumbledore was assaulted with another owl pleading for help, but this time from a one Wayne Hopkins from Hufflepuff. He sighed and massaged his sore forehead from all the stress of the day and resigned himself to collect the boy himself. Once past the Apparation wards, he found himself at the young lad's home where he gently rapped at the door until a middle aged woman presented herself.

"Good day, ma'am, I wish to speak to you about young Mister Hopkins."

"Certainly, Professor Dumbledore, please come in. My husband is not around so I don't fear letting you in."

That in itself was what Dumbledore had feared when he'd been delivered the message. He had recalled Wayne's father was a proud Slytherin and his son was in Hufflepuff, so that didn't bode well.

"Thank you, madam; I just received an owl from your son not moments ago stating that he was in need of help. Perhaps you could explain to me why if he was hurt, medical attention was not given to him?" Albus asked, trying to sound confused as possible.

The woman looked ashamed at being asked so directly. "My husband, as you most likely recall, was in Slytherin like much of the family. So when our son had been placed in Hufflepuff, he began beating him for doing such a 'monstrosity' to the family. When he hadn't been hitting Wayne, it was myself for raising him to be such a person and that it was partly my fault. I covered all the injuries from the abuse that I received, but Wayne is a different story. The more I tried to help him, the more my husband continued to hit. Please, take him out of here before he is left in a state where he would be beaten to the point of death," she pleaded, eyes glazed with tears.

Albus concurred and went to find the boy immediately, but was horrified by the state the young man was in. Gently, he poured a couple of healing potions down Wayne's throat before attempting to move him back to Hogwarts.

"Thank you, mum," Wayne wheezed out as he was carried through the room and out the door. Once back at Hogwarts grounds, Dumbledore hurried to get him towards the hospital wing before the recent blood loss could claim the young man's life.

* * *

"Lupin, please kindly hurry up. I am in no mood to draw this out any longer than necessary," Snape sneered, glaring once more at the man who was having a hard time keeping up with the Potion Master's brisk gate.

"You know Snape, I don't like this anymore than you do, but I care about Harry even if you don't. So fine, let's get moving so you won't be tainted by my presence any longer than necessary," Lupin finished sarcastically as they neared the door to No. 4, Privet Drive. The car wasn't in the driveway, but Remus contributed that to the fact that the Dursleys had already taken off to the hospital and left Harry alone. That would make everything much easier.

"Come on, Harry's upstairs in the small bedroom and hopefully this time they didn't padlock him in," he spat, feeling disgusted with the Dursleys treatment of one of his favorite ex-students, but not that they would know that. Thankfully he saw the door unbarred and knocked gently before opening the door. Inside the two saw Harry asleep on his bed and looking as if he was indeed as bad as he stated in his letter.

"Harry, Harry," Remus said softly, trying to wake the boy without having to resort to touching him, "You need to wake up. Professor Snape has a few potions that he would like to give you."

Snape couldn't hold back rolling his eyes any longer and tried his way, "Potter! Get your lazy arse out of that bed immediately unless you wish to start the year off with negative house points!" He barked loudly and getting the young man on the bed to stir.

"Professors?" He asked sleepily, reaching over to the small nightstand to collect his glasses and winced in pain.

"Yes Potter, now if you'd be so kind as to collect your belongings, I believe you requested medical attention?" Severus snapped, looking distastefully around the room. Harry looked embarrassed as he mumbled something. "What was that Potter?"

"I said, I can't move. Something happened to my back and I can't walk." At this, Snape scowled darkly and began waving his wand around to pack the meager belongings of the boy into the trunk that surprisingly, the Dursleys let him keep in his room that year. Once that was done, he shrunk it enough so that it would fit into one of the many folds that his robes contained and fished out a few vials of potions as well.

Harry downed them quickly as most potions tasted vile and wanted them out of the way. "Moody would just have killed me for accepting those without even asking what they were."

Severus was on the verge of letting out some of those bitterly sarcastic remarks at the boy, but directed them towards the stated man. "Moody also runs through more kettles than anyone else since he believes that they are all in a conspiracy against him. But those potions were just a couple of mild healing potions and one to numb all pain so that we can move you from here to the hospital at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded and thanked him for the temporary relief it brought and was gently picked up by Remus, who with his werewolf strength, had no problems picking up the still undersized boy. At one point during the walk away from the house and to where they could apparate, Harry fell back asleep which pleased Snape to no end so that he didn't have to deal with inane ramblings.

"Oh Poppy! We are in need of your medical expertise!" Lupin called as they entered the hospital wing.

"Really Remus, please quiet down. I unfortunately have a student in here as well who is severely hurt to the point where I don't know if he'll wake up again. As for Harry here, Albus already informed me that you would most likely be collecting him from his relative's home due to a car crash he'd been in. Now, just set him gently on the bed next to Wayne there and I'll work on fixing him up. This shouldn't be nearly exhausting as the other poor dear, but out! I'll talk to you later!" She said while shooing them out of the now enclosed bed.

Harry definitely wasn't so beat up as Wayne had been, but there were still some serious injuries that covered his body. Luckily she was able to fix his back straight away as it did just seem to be a case of whiplash that has occurred. His bruises and cuts needed to heal on their own as the glass had done some nasty damage to his back and parts of his face.

Late that night, a soft rustle came from the bed next to Harry's and he looked over to see that Wayne had drawn the sheet around the bed back so that he could look around. Even though Harry had never known the boy well, he did certainly care about how he was feeling.

"Hey Wayne, how are you feeling?" Harry asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Wayne? What are you talking about? I'm Sirius."


	2. The Past

((A/N: Well, isn't allowing me to upload my .rtf or .doc files so I had to upload this as a .txt file which means that I couldn't get it to include the italics, bold, etc. And there's some kind of glitch in the system that isn't letting me edit it via QuickEdit. Once they get that fixed, I'll reupload this chapter. Until then, Viva la Lucky Charms!  
  
Tia Evans: Thanks! I'll definitely conitnue this. As for the father? Heh, just read. :P  
  
DISCLAIMER: Hmm, nope! Still not mine!))

* * *

Harry sat on the bed and stared over at the boy with shaggy dark tawny hair and neutral brown eyes. All he could do was look in disbelief at the person next to him and worry if he was mentally stable.  
  
"Pardon me mate, but what did you say?"  
  
"Sorry Harry, but you're going to find this impossible to understand. But yes, I said I'm Sirius, not Wayne."  
  
"MADAM POMFREY!!!!" Harry called rather loudly as he narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied the boy besides him. A moment later, the medi-witch reached the besides, looking slightly flustered about being woken up at this time of night.  
  
"Yes Mister Potter? What seems to be the problem?" She asked but the grogginess still visible in her voice.  
  
"Could you please get the Headmaster and Professor Lupin? I think they need to hear something,"  
  
"And what could be so important that the Headmaster would be needed?" Wayne cleared his throat from his bed and Poppy stood in utter shock as she realized that her other patient had woken up. "Yes, certainly Mister Potter, Mister Hopkins. I shall be back momentarily."  
  
Moments later found Remus and Albus running into the hospital wing in disarray and ended up in a pile on the floor from a stray piece of cloth. Duel chuckles emerged from the nearby beds and Wayne couldn't help but get out of the bed and help Remus to his feet. "Really Remus, you'd think after thirty five years, one would manage to keep themselves on their feet properly."  
  
The werewolf stared at the young lad who'd stuck his hand out to help him up. Harry had also gotten up and was in the process of getting Dumbledore back to his own feet.  
  
"Excuse me, young man, do I know you?" Remus asked cautiously, the graying hair sticking out humorously.  
  
"Well, what a way to greet old friends, eh Moony? Hmm, I'm curious if the Marauder's Map would show me as Wayne Hopkins or Sirius Black…" He trailed off, grinning lopsidedly.  
  
"How…?" Remus began, his eyes now full of distrust for the young man standing in front of him. Sighing loudly, Wayne suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a large hairy black dog that was wagging his tail happily.  
  
"Sirius!?" Albus, Harry and Remus all started to ask at the same time.  
  
"Oh, I'm going to be paying for that come morning. Forgot that this body isn't up to par," Wayne/Sirius stated after returning to young man's body. "Perhaps I should explain…"  
  
------  
------  
FLASHBACK-  
  
"Now really Sirius, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be looking out for our favorite godchild?" James joked as he noticed the visitor following Lily into the small cottage that the two lived in. Sirius looked over blankly from his friend's statement.  
  
"Perhaps we should explain, Sirius. Take a seat though. This isn't something you're going to like hearing."  
  
Sirius plopped down on one of the chairs that was next to James and looked at the two warily. "What is this all about?"  
  
Lily sighed heavily and began on her tale. "Back in our years at Hogwarts, especially close to our OWL exams, I was beginning to have difficulties in a couple of my classes and needed some extra help if I wanted to pass with high grades. I was able to convince Professor McGonagall to find me a tutor who'd be able to help to get me up to snuff before the exams came. One was for Potions and the other for Defense Against the Dark Arts since the subtle theory behind each was managing to elude me. While I would've preferred a single tutor, the two subjects seemed to split themselves between the student body. So she set up sessions with two different students who were willing to help.  
  
Severus was the logical choice to have for a tutor in Potions as he was the top student in the class and seemed to have an abundance of time on his hands and Remus conceded to help me in the other. I believe he never mentioned this to the others as he believed you'd mock him for being even more bookish than he already was. So I spent ample time with both and steadily my grades in each course began to rise. Even Severus was able to get over his distaste for muggleborns and we were able to have a friendship come out of the situation.  
  
Then in our final year, both of my friendships with Severus and Remus had solidified themselves and I continued to meet with both of them and unfortunately by that time I'd fallen for both of them. Once we had graduated, everyone believed I'd gone off with James, but that was untrue. Yes, I did move in with him, but that was because neither of the two I wanted to be with could offer me a place to live and going back to my parents with Petunia there.  
  
Remus couldn't seem to be able to hold a job so living arrangements were hard enough for him as it was and Severus had already mentioned his family and how muggleborns were definitely not accepted into the manor, so James, being the great friend that he was, offered to let me live at his cottage. Now, during this time, I was still seeing both Severus and Remus, and believe me, I wish I had never done this to them. But within a week of each other, I somehow found myself waking up after sleeping with both men. Most likely I had gotten drunk or otherwise I would've stopped myself. A month and a half later I found out I was pregnant with Harry.  
  
Where did it all fall out is now probably crossing your mind. Luckily for me, both Severus and Remus had managed to put aside their past grudges and work with each other until I was able to make up my mind. I really regret playing both of them like that, but I was young and stupid. But the day I planned on telling Severus I was pregnant, I caught sight of that awful Dark Mark on his arm and fled in terror before I could hear what he had to say. To this day, I regret running like that because I've always been curious to know if it was by choice or force. Anyhow, I was terrified and I fled to Remus, but when I got to his current residence, I found him partly changed into a werewolf. As much as I knew about the Marauders, I never had paid close enough attention to Remus's habits around the full moon. Naturally I fled from him as well before I was attacked.  
  
James, here, was a true friend and stayed by my side and even offered to marry me, which I did accept, and give my unborn child a father. Once I had given birth to Harry, I still didn't know which the father was. Young children, while they can tend to give off traits of their parents, doesn't give any solid proof and as you might know, one cannot tell the color of either hair or eyes from birth. Harry was born bald and as all babies, with blue eyes. Even so, I opted to mask Harry's true appearance since either way, he would be in danger, as would the father. If he is Severus's, then Voldemort will be trying to force him into taking the Dark Mark by blackmailing Severus. It wouldn't be any better off if he is Remus's either. While infecting another person is bad enough, consciously impregnating someone carries an even heavier sentence that would find Remus executed in a truly primal way, Harry w ould be shunned and on the full moon of his sixteenth birthday, the dormant disease would awaken and he'd begin to transform.  
  
James and I used a powerful appearance charm accompanied by a couple of potions to lengthen the effects to change Harry's looks to mirror those of James, even as he was growing up. Even with that though, we saw his true eye color break through both the spell and potion before long. Eyes are the gateway to the truth and this was no exception. While both James and I always knew in the back of our minds that something could go wrong with the war, we didn't let anyone in on this secret, not even Albus Dumbledore. Unfortunately, I believe now around his sixteenth birthday, both charm and potions will begin to wear off and he'll start to resemble how he really should."  
  
Lily finally finished relaying her sad tale to Sirius who just sat there in shock from what he'd heard. He couldn't believe that Lily had been with one of his other best friends as well as Snape.  
  
"How will Harry know what is going to be happening to him if no one knew?" He asked hoarsely, clutching at the armrest on the chair.  
  
The couple glanced back and forth between themselves and then back at Sirius. "You weren't supposed to die yet, mate, and there is important business you now have to relay back to Harry, Remus, and Severus. I believe that their might be a way to return you," James said slowly, looking at Lily for conformation. She nodded and pulled out four envelopes and handed them to Sirius.  
  
"Come, we'll see if perhaps something can be worked out…"  
  
END FLASHBACK  
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The Boy Who Lived sat there and wished that he was "The Boy Who Didn't Just Hear What He Thought He Heard," and started hyperventilating. Poppy hurried to his side and gently helped him with a calming draught in hopes to relax him enough to stop the attack. ((A/N: ….Having panic attacks is something I've dealt with so don't try to tell me that a calming solution would immediately help. Even with medication, it can still take ten-fifteen minutes for someone to start calming down. Want more information? Ask.))  
  
The nearby table started vibrating gently at first and then gradually built up to a deafening crash as it was slammed against the wall in a fit of rage by Harry's innate magical abilities.  
  
"HIT THE DECKS!" Sirius/Wayne screamed as he rolled off the bed and ducked under it. "He's gonna blow!" The other three occupants of the room took the advice and scrambled underneath the nearby beds to shelter themselves from the sudden explosion of glass from the windows. A few moments later the four emerged from their shelter and approached the boy on the bed slowly.  
  
"Harry?" Albus asked gently as he tentatively placed a hand on Harry's shoulder in an attempt to further calm him down. After receiving no response, he sighed and turned back to Sirius/Wayne. "That still doesn't explain how you are here and in Wayne Hopkins body."  
  
"I suppose it doesn't...Perhaps I should continue with the tale..."  
  
-------------------------  
-------------------------  
FLASHBACK  
  
The three friends found themselves in a small room with simple white decor and a wizened man sitting at a desk. He frowned as he caught sight of Sirius walking towards him. "Mister Black! Just what do you think you are doing here? By my records, you weren't supposed to arrive for seventeen years, nine months, three weeks, two days, eleven hours, fifty two minutes, and thirty seven seconds!"  
  
"Hey, it's not my fault that Bellatrix decided that it was fun to blast me through the veil." Sirius muttered to himself.  
  
"Haha, hear that you old fart? You weren't supposed to die till you were old! What did you do, overdose on the grapenuts?" James snickered and looked as if he was having a hard time conducting himself.  
  
"Now, what brings you three here?" The man asked, glasses slipping down his nose as he stared intently at Sirius. Lily spoke up quickly and began enlightening the man about their situation with Harry and how no one knew, but they were distracted by a young man appearing in the room, although with a soulless look on his face. "Mister Hopkins! What are you doing here, considering the fact that you aren't dead!" He exclaimed, looking surprised for the second time that day.  
  
"Please let me die..." He said, voice lacking all emotions and eyes empty. The elder looked thoughtful for a moment before staring at Sirius.  
  
"It seems I have just found a way to send you back after all..."  
  
END FLASHBACK  
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"So basically Wayne's body was soulless so he sent me to inhabit this one," Sirius finished, looking a bit sad though. "Seems that Wayne's spirit was dead to the world even if his body wasn't. The old man decided it was kinder just to let him be, and send me back to deal with the present."  
  
"I must say, Mister Black, while we will miss Mister Hopkins, I'm sure Harry is delighted to have you back in our midst." Albus said, his eyes twinkling.  
  
"Who am I?" Harry asked all the sudden, his voice so low it could barely be heard. Remus looked faint from the whole ordeal and collapsed onto a nearby chair to recollect his balance. Albus, Sirius, and Poppy glanced at each other before the Headmaster spoke up.  
  
"Harry, calm down. We have no way of telling since Lily herself didn't know who the father was. The only way to tell right now would be to remove the charm and even then, the potion would still need to drain itself from your body."  
  
"Remove them." He said shortly.  
  
"Are you certain this is what you want?" Albus sighed slowly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
He nodded stiffly, not wanting to place this on the boy's shoulders so soon after hearing this. "Revelare germanum signum," was spoken quietly, yet forcefully, feeling nervous himself as to what was going to happen. Four sets of eyes immediately turned their gaze upon the boy to see the true father.  
  
Harry's hair was a dead give away. Layers of chestnut brown hair with a reddish tint fell around his face as the spell had kept his hair from growing all those years and now made up for it. His body seemed a bit lankier than it had been, but they weren't able to see much with the hair covering his face. Sirius crawled onto the bed and gently brushed away the errant locks and peered into the still brilliant green eyes. Bits and pieces of his face now resembled Remus's instead of James and more parts of Lily shone through. There was still much of James in Harry's looks, but those would be removed after the potion was flushed from his body. Remus walked over, albeit in shock, and tentatively placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Who's am I?"  
  
"Mine," Remus said gently, trying to make it sound as caring as possible. He knelt down and pulled the boy's chin towards him and brushed away the excessive hair before looking into his eyes. "You're mine, and I wish I would've known sooner."  
  
Harry's breathing hadn't stabilized yet and continued his labored breaths. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to hide under the blanket and wish that everything would just go away and that he'd never heard what Sirius had to say. He numbly heard someone say something in the background about cutting his hair to a more reasonable length and felt as a few wisps fluttered into his face after having it cut to just above his shoulders.  
  
Severus chose that moment to enter the hospital wing in his usual fashion, robes swirling at his feet and a sneer placed firmly on his face. In his hands were a few phials of potions that he set down on a nearby table and whirled around to the group. "Your Skin Replenishing Potion, Poppy," he muttered in a silky voice before his eyes trailed down to the young boy with scruffy brown-red hair. "Who is that?" Severus spat, looking distastefully at the person who was the center of attention.  
  
"Am I that unrecognizable?" The soft voice came again, lowering his head down so that his hair would cover his face.  
  
The Potion Master narrowed his eyes and deduced that it had to be Potter underneath all that hair. "So what did our 'hero' do to himself this time?" He spat out, that venomous look falling all too easily onto his face.  
  
Hairs bristled on Remus's back as he heard Severus treat Harry like that. If the charms hadn't been removed, for all they knew, Harry could've been the son of Snape and he pitied what could've happened then. Luckily, Albus stepped in to sedate the man. "Severus, please kindly refrain yourself from talking to Harry like that. As to what has happened, Sirius seems to have been returned to us and while was beyond the veil, learned some information that effected Remus and could've done the same to you."  
  
"Headmaster, are you feeling ill? The dead cannot be returned to life," Severus snapped, shifting uncomfortably where he was standing.  
  
"Actually Snivellus, it seems that this world would've been too devastated to see me permanently removed from here so he sent me back in the body of Wayne Hopkins. Sorry to get your hopes up of getting rid of me forever," Sirius sneered, making it look rather amusing on the face of a once Hufflepuff.  
  
"So then why does Potter seem to be sporting a head of long brown hair instead of his usual black rats nest?"  
  
"It would seem that Lily had unfinished business when she died that she passed on to Sirius during his time with them. She mentioned having both an affair with you and Remus and when Harry was born, she couldn't tell who's he was and masked his appearance for fear of what would happen when he found his biological father. The spells she used would've gone on indefinitely had she not died, but unfortunately she did and now they would've only lasted until around his sixteenth birthday. Harry decided that he'd rather know just who was his father which is why part of the mask is now gone." Albus replied, looking over gravely at Harry for a moment.  
  
The young lad had curled up into a ball and was staring at the wall with a blank expression. "When's the next full moon?" The boy in question enquired with an almost inaudible voice.  
  
"July 31st."  
  
((Like I said, sorry about not being able to properly format this....))  



	3. The Explainations

_((A/N: Disclaimer: Alas, still not mine. _

_Wow, 12 reviews from you all! Thanks! You're making me feel special. ;_

**_Ariana Dumbledore_**_ Thanks! Here's the update!_

_**Anon:** Here's more!_

**_Lunawolf_**_ Thanks! I saw yours and liked it as well. _

_**Tempest in Blue:** Hehe, well, I made Lily woosey since I had no clue who I was going to use as the father at the beginning. Remus was upset, but not anymore. And yes, Harry is angry and there's more on that in this chapter. Nope, he's not gonna get a sudden growth spurt, but sooner or later I'll knock the glasses off since well, just read :P. _

**_DARKMARK33LV_**_ Remus makes a better father than Snape any day. Heh, believe me as I've written a Severitus challenge as well. Those just always seem to end up extremely OOC, and I include myself in that too. Severus will play a part in this as it's part of the challenge requirements, but I do love writing him as a crabby bastard. _

**_Tia Evans_**_ I liked Sirius's return as well, heh, besides, it works for the storyline. And write! I wanna see Harry finally as a werewolf in your story!_

_**mac1**: Lily isn't stupid.... I bet she hated that Fudge-arse as much as Harry does, and didn't want to take the chance that he'd be executed._

**_dragonbluephoenix_**_ I have to remember to thank Tia Evans for sending people over here from her fic. Anyhow, thanks! _

**_mochalattee_**_ Your user ID makes me thirsty! Here be the update. ;_

**_Sirius' son_**_ I'm not sure if I'll be adding any ships or not. I've found out that when I attempt to write relationships, they tend to turn out lousy._

**_Hermione Malfoy Potter_**_ Here's the update. :D Just I think I'll keep him male instead of making him go off and slapping a couple of Weasleys. Hehe, I recognized your name/story._

**_bookgodess15_**_ Thank Tia Evans for the challenge. ;) I'm just stealing the idea and making it my own._

_Now! On to the story!))_

_-- -- --_

July 31st. It rang through his head like an echo in a metal room. First he was angry at his mother and fath….James for not telling him or anyone else, nor had they planned too. Then hearing that his mother had relationships with both Snape and Re…his father, and now to find out that his looks changed and now seemed nothing like he used to. And to top it off, he was now being told that promptly on his 16th birthday he'd be transforming into the wolf for the first time.

"Please leave me alone," Harry said in a deadly whisper, eyes narrowed and giving them a look that rivaled even Snape's worst. Albus, Pomfrey, and Severus complied without hesitation but Sirius and Remus exchanged glances.

"Harry," Sirius began but was cut off by that murderous glare. The two sighed and left the young man alone to draw the curtains around the bed. Nervously he summoned a mirror from the wall and glanced in. The James was still there as the potion hadn't finished its course, but already he looked like a new person. The chestnut locks looked odd as he'd been used to the raven black hair, but his skin tone lightened respectively to make it look more natural. Eyes were still green, albeit a touch bit darker with a hint of blue in them from his father. Some of the chubbiness around his face began to disappear a bit and his knees were as knobbily as ever.

Breathing heavily, he was partially grateful for Remus being his father instead of Snape. Even if the man could reproduce, Harry doubted if he could ever actually love someone. Giving up on it all, he put his head back on the pillow and promptly fell asleep.

-- -- --

"Good morning, sunshine!" Sirius grinned, looking down at his godson still half asleep on the bed. Harry had calmed down enough from that night, but waking up to a still unfamiliar face staring down at him was slightly unnerving.

"Go 'way, dog breath," he grumbled, swatting a hand around randomly to try and get Sirius to leave him alone.

"Oww, that hurt," Padfoot replied to the insult and jumped up on the bed in full doggy mode.

"Bloody hell Sirius, get lost," Harry snapped, as he still was feeling hurt from yesterday. If he'd been Snape's, he figured he would've already killed himself from the absolute hatred the man had for him. He doubted it would change even if he wasn't a Potter; now he was a Lupin and just as bad in Snape's eyes.

"Hey, I know you don't want to be around anyone, but how about getting some breakfast? All these injuries make healing take a lot out of you."

"Fine," he stated shortly, throwing on a random robe sitting near his bed and stalked off in the general direction of the Great Hall. The young man who was now Sirius huffed in exhaustion to catch up and grabbed his arm.

"Hey! What is the matter with you? I mean, I could understand you acting like this if it were Snivellus, but it's Moony."

Harry looked over at him with dulled eyes and started walking again. "I'm not mad at him, well, I am about what he did to my mum, but that's beside the point. Why didn't they tell someone before? Why couldn't she let someone know I was either Snape's or Moony's so that I wouldn't have had to stay at the Dursleys all those years? And now you're telling me that I'm turning into a bloody werewolf for my birthday present?" He raged, storming away and down to the Great Hall.

As he expected, only a few members of the staff were there; Albus, Severus, Remus who looked exhausted, Minerva, and Hagrid. Grumbling, he placed himself as far away as possible from the rest of the staff and took a chair on the other side of Hagrid. A moment later Sirius waltzed in, although still looking in rough shape and glanced around before seating himself next to Harry. He'd remembered that he was in the body of a Hufflepuff student and it might look awkward to sit near the professors and not Harry.

"Uh, Albus, who are the two young gentlemen?" Minerva inquired a few minutes later and once everyone had a good start on their meal.

"This is going to be hard to explain. As you may remember, this is Wayne Hopkins, or so we thought. It turns out that Mister Hopkins was unfortunately abused at home and his spirit died, but the body continued living. Some how it seems that Sirius Black was sent back to us in this body," Albus chuckled, looking at the horrified and grimace on Minerva's face at the same time.

"Yes, I'm sure he'll pull off quite a few spectacular pranks during his two remaining years here," Remus added in, glancing at his best friend with a snigger on his face.

"Oh bloody hell! Does that mean I have to put up with doing History of Magic essays again?" He groaned, slapping his forehead.

"Then who is the other laddie?" Hagrid rose, looking confused by the chestnut brown haired boy sitting next to him.

"This is the more confusing of the two, although you've all met him," he gestured towards Harry to have him brush back his hair.

He complied and brushed aside the scruffy hair so that his scar was visible to the surrounding people. Minerva and Hagrid gasped and looked back at Albus.

"Who-how-what's going on?" Minerva stuttered.

"Now for the interesting part of the story," The Headmaster replied calmly and proceeded to relay the tale Lily had told Sirius. Severus sat there, jaw firmly in place when the story came to his part in it with Lily and Remus lightened a few skin tones and suddenly found his plate very interesting.

"So then just last night you found out that Harry is really Remus's son, although he could've been Severus's, and his mother is still Lily?" Minerva asked, trying to set things straight in her mind.

"Yes," Remus told her faintly. His son was sitting in his chair, knees clutched tightly to his chest and rocking slowly with ragged breathing. Sirius sauntered over and kneeled down to get a good look at his godson. It seemed that after hearing the story again, his entire body had gone into shock once more. Gently he pulled the boy into a hug and tried to keep him from exploding again like the previous night.

"Is there some reason Harry is acting like this? I would've thought that he'd be happy to find out he has a living father," McGonagall queried, seeming utterly bewildered at the panicking young man.

"It might be partly finding out he's now a werewolf," Lupin whispered, glancing at the shaking cloak as if it desperately wanted to disappear. Sirius sent him a glare that could be translated roughly as 'get-your-arse-over-here-before-I-hurt-you' and realized it wasn't a bad idea.

Once again Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see the concerned face of Re…his father staring at him. He stiffened slightly as he was drawn into a hug, but being neglected most of his life, he hadn't become a person dependant on physical contact. "What's the matter Harry, what has you so distraught? Is it me? I wouldn't blame you, or what I did to Lily? I know that was terrible of me to do. Or is this about the werewolf thing?" He coaxed, trying to get his son to talk. At this point, Harry wasn't even listening; his mind had shut down hours ago.

"My goodness Remus, a father for less than twelve hours and already you make him cry. Such a pity," Severus drawled, looking viciously towards Harry.

"Severus, shut up afore I make sure yer mouth is fused tagether permanently," Hagrid boomed loudly, sending the said man a despised look. Severus caught sight of five more glares being sent his way and was backed into a corner. Looking particularly nasty, he stormed out of the hall, robes billowing behind as per the norm.

"Like I said Harry, at least you aren't dealing with an overgrown bat," Sirius joked as he patted the boy's back. "Be gratefully you're a werewolf instead of a bloody vampire."

"This is true, and don't forget Harry, you'll have the Wolfsbane potion so it won't be as bad as it could," Minerva sent the boy a smile.

"Didn't my mother say that if werewolves reproduced, the infected parent would be executed?" Harry questioned, looking perplexed.

"Erm, your mother already took care of that in the letter she sent me. I just need to send that in and the Ministry will clear me. As she is already deceased, she wrote that it was her fault and that she'd put me under the Imperius spell so that I had no control over my actions," Remus blushed, looking guilty again.

"So they'll believe the letter then?"

"There are spells that can prove a letter's sender is authentic, but not he content, so they'll have no choice," Albus grinned, "Besides, that bloody old coot Fudge is gone. I don't think you heard about the new Minister of Magic being Madam Bones, did you? No? Well, she'll be easier to sway into breaking the tradition anyhow."

"They got rid of Fudge?" Harry grinned lopsidedly. "No more mad Minister running around and trying to turn everyone against me? I think I could sing!"

This got everyone laughing; it was no secret that Harry hated the Minister with a passion for calling him a liar, a murderer, trying to get him expelled, and then for sending Umbridge to Hogwarts.

"So I don't think we'll have a problem clearing your father's name," he said brightly, the damnable twinkle ever present in his eyes. "Ahh, and Harry? Could you please come to my office today after lunch? I have something I need to discuss with you."

After slipping out of the Great Hall, Harry found himself wandering out to the Qudditch Pitch only to be surprised by his Firebolt hovering in the air before him. He bent down and looked at the note attached.

-- -- --

_**-Harry, I figured you might want this back after Umbridge apprehended it. Cheers!**_

_**-Headmaster Dumbledore **_

-- -- --

With that, Harry abandoned all sense of precaution, snatched the broom, and kicked off before one could say 'slimy Slytherin'. The wind whipped through his hair and for the time being, felt a sense of freedom that he hadn't had in a long time, especially with having the Firebolt confiscated last year. For the time he was in the air, he was nothing but a boy without a care in the world, like one his age should be, not one with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He pressed the broom to its limits, feeling the sheer speed of the item and watched as the world around him turned into nothing more than a blur. Minutes went by, and then hours and before long he realized it'd be time for lunch soon and quite frankly, he didn't want to be the cause of a search party.

He hurried up to the showers and had just enough time to get rid of the grim that he'd managed to cover himself in while flying. While shampooing his hair, he decided that long hair was a pain since it took so much longer to get clean. Once clean, he grabbed one of the fluffy white towels sitting by the bath and dried himself off before realizing he didn't have a change of clothing with him, nor did he have any of his stuff.

"Hey, did you really think they'd let you be here without any of your stuff?" Sirius grinned from the door with a change of clothes in one hand and a brush in the other. "And we're finally going to tame that rat's nest."

Harry shrank back at the mentioning of combing his hair; he'd had enough problems with that earlier this morning and didn't relish the thought of getting the snarls out for a second time that day. Sirius plopped the robes at his feet and turned around as if telling him to get dressed. The boy rolled his eyes and resigned himself to the torture that was sure to come and pulled on the necessary items.

"That's better, now, for the fun part," Sirius said with a teasing evil grin on his face and brandished the comb in the air.

"Oh no you don't!" Harry screeched and ran out of the bathroom and collided hard with his Head of House. She looked flustered from the collision and stared at the person who'd done the deed.

"You know, Harry, it would be a lot easier for you to see where you're going if you'd comb that hair of yours…" She mentioned and transfigured a nearby candle into a brush and handed it to him. "Now, make yourself presentable," came that no nonsense and no arguing tone of voice.

Glaring right back, he ran the brush through his hair a few times and only succeeded in only making the mess worse. At that point, Sirius had finally caught up with them and noticed the battle of glares and broke the silence.

"Perhaps we should just shave it all off so you don't have to worry about it anymore," the Animagus grinned and caught Harry off-guard enough to start working out the tangles.

"I don't like you…" He grumbled, his face scrunched in pain.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure Mister Potter, or I guess that would be Mister Lupin now. It's time for lunch so let's be off. Dumbledore still wants you fed properly here before you head to the meeting," McGonagall told him sternly.

Harry nodded and started off in the direction of the Great Hall with Sirius next to him. More members of the staff had decided to show up today as Filch, Sprout and Flitwick were scattered about the table. Looking up there, he realized Sprout had taken his seat from breakfast, and Filch, Sirius's. The only two open seats at the moment were in between Remus and Snape. Decided it wasn't a good idea to let Sirius sit next to his childhood nemesis, he resigned himself to sitting next to the man who was dedicated to making his life a living hell.

Remus looked a bit hurt at the seating arrangement, but said nothing of it as he picked at the roast chicken occupying his plate. It did sting though that his son would rather sit next to someone who hated him with a passion. Sirius looked up at his friend, silently cursing this body's shortness, and patted him on the back.

"Hey, he'll come around," He said softly enough so Harry wouldn't be able to hear. "Besides, I think he just didn't want me sitting next to Snivellus."

"Perhaps, just make sure he doesn't go running out of here after lunch. He looks as if he's a caged animal at the moment and I can sense that he desperately doesn't want to be in the room with anyone. And one other thing, I'd recommend not pranking Severus so soon after returning."

"Will do, mate. Besides, I have the next two years to make Snivellus's life a living hell," Sirius grinned in anticipation.

Remus just groaned.

The end of lunch finally came and Dumbledore smiled and looked at Harry. "Come along Harry, our meeting awaits," His jubilant attitude at least got the boy calmed down slightly and followed the Headmaster up to the office where the gargoyle stood stoically. "Skiving Snack boxes!"

Harry couldn't help but grin at the password that had been chosen; Fred and George would be proud. They entered the room where Albus moved behind the desk and motioned for Harry to take a seat on an overstuffed red chair.

"Now, I realize that you've been having a hard time accepting all of this, especially with the panic attacks and outbursts you've been having. What I don't understand is why since as Sirius has pointed out a few times, this is Remus and not Severus who is your father."

"I-I…" He sighed softly, "It's not that it's him, I mean, Moony's great. It's just I've been living a lie, one lie after another and it never seems to stop. And now I'm probably going to have to lie about my parentage along with being a werewolf. Are my friends even going to accept me anymore?" He rambled on, not hearing two other people enter the room.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Albus asked gently. "No, we're not going to hide your parentage, but what we're going to do; it's not going to be able to be spread around either. I am sorry, Harry. Hear us out before you do anything rash."

"We were planning on enrolling you here as my son so you don't have to worry about hiding your parentage or that you're a werewolf," Remus replied, standing in the corner and looking at the others.

"Then what are you going to do about 'Harry Potter' then?" Harry asked, clearly worried. "It'd look suspicious if I suddenly showed up after 'he' is gone."

"Well, that's where Sirius comes into the picture. Professor Flitwick is going to put a strong appearance charm on Sirius's body so that he'll look like you did before. This will eliminate the chance that someone will connect your sudden appearance to him. And this will mean that you'll have him around on the full moons to help keep you under control should you need it. I heard that a certain big black dog does was able to keep a werewolf in check many years ago," He winked.

"What about Wayne Hopkins then?" Harry asked.

"His mother thinks he died that night I retrieved him so it won't be hard to get it across that the young lad has died. Is this sounding acceptable to you?" the Headmaster replied.

Harry nodded slowly, "What am I going to be called then?"

"Ahh, good question. I was hoping that Remus would supply the name you'd be using if that is alright." Albus asked, looking at the boy for conformation. After another nod, the Headmaster motioned Remus over.

"I-I hope you like it. Last night after Albus told me what he hoped to do, I spent the rest of the night and this morning trying to come up with a name. If you don't, you're free to choose another," Remus whispered.

"What is it?"

"Silas Alexander Lupin."

Harry, or Silas, conceded and approved of the name. He stared at the wall which was still full of moving portraits and other annoying trinkets that had been repaired after his tantrum a month ago. He realized he never did apologize for that outburst.

"Headmaster, I want to apologize for my actions at the end of the term. I shouldn't have broken your possessions."

"There is no need to apologize, what I did was wrong as well. Besides, I really should clear out some of the junk in here. Oh, by the way, I have your OWL results," He said as he opened a drawer and pulled out an envelope and handed it over.

_((A/N: Heh, you have to wait till next time to see Harry's results.... I'm just mean like that.))_


	4. The Startings

_((A/N: Hiya all! I did plan on getting this chapter out earlier, but well, the Olympics are very interesting so I've been watching a lot of the viewings of those, and when I'm not, I'm starting to pack since I have a week left before I move into the dorms at college. So anyhow, I'll try to get another chapter out before I leave, otherwise it might be a little while._

**_Hermione Malfoy Potter_**_: Slapping Ron is very funny, yes, much so. And Ron is definitely a prat as you'll see in this chapter._

**_Lady Phasma_**_: :-) Thanks! I liked how I did Sirius myself, wish I could put a copy write on it so no one else would steal it. _

**_bookgodess15_**_**:** Muhahah, I'm known as being evil. Thanks though!_

**_dragonbluephoenix_**_: Not only would the wizarding world go nuts, it would make it easy to track down who Silas Alexander Lupin actually is._

**_mochalattee_**_**:** Sorry it wasn't sooner! But just don't cut off my coffee supply! I neeeeeed it!_

**_DARKMARK33LV_**_: I think it would take time for anyone to accept someone as their father if they just suddenly showed up. Some of these Severitus stories I've read are just, wow, are you people really that stupid that you think Harry would jump into Snape's arms and go "Daddy!" Even if it is Remus, it would still be hard to understand._

_**Analia:** Hey! I'm insulted! :P My work's not crazy, I am! As for pranks...Heh, well, we'll just have to wait until back at Hogwarts where there is a very cantankerous Potions Master who is the prefect target._

_**Tempest in Blue**: Yay! Thanks!!_

**_oracale_**_**:** Word. Glad you like it._

**_Pyr00tje_**_: Well, perhaps we'll have to have a new generation of Marauders._

**_momma-dar_**_**:** I think Remus makes a better father than Snape as well. Even if he is a werewolf, I'd have to say Lily would've been attracted to him in the first place since he is more intelligent and mature than James or Sirius._

_**Doodlebug:** Haha, you can only hope. :-)_

**_Serena24_**_**:** Thanks! _

**_Lunawolf_**_: Thanks, it took me hours to come up with the perfect name._

**_TomTom21_**_: Cool! Thanks! _

**_Malfunction_**_: Hey, how about that, you review and I update the next day. ;)_

_Well, I believe that's all the reviews. And you all are going to give me a big head if you keep this up. =.= So, on to the story!))_

* * *

Owl Results for _Mister Harry Potter:__  
  
Astronomy- A  
Theory- E Practical- P__  
  
Care of Magical Creatures- O  
Theory- EPractical- O__  
  
Charms- E  
Theory- EPractical- E__  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts- O  
Theory- OPractical- O__  
  
Divination- P  
Theory- P Practical- D__  
  
Herbology- E  
Theory- EPractical- E  
  
__History of Magic- P  
Theory- P__  
  
Potions- E  
Theory- APractical- E__  
  
Transfiguration- E  
Theory- E Practical- E_

_Congratulations on your owl results and receiving seven out of the possible nine. Good luck with your future plans._

_-Griselda Marchbanks, Head of OWL Results _

* * *

Silas smiled slightly before glancing around the room to see the expectant faces looking back. "Well, I'm sure they wouldn't let a werewolf be an Auror anyhow, and I won't have to deal with Professor Snape anymore."

"Unfortunately, you're right about werewolves not being allowed to be Aurors, but it would look odd for a Lupin to not be one of the top students in his class. I've managed to have Professor Snape give you a test to see if you can be placed in his NEWT level group. As for "Harry Potter," he definitely will not be allowed in the class as that could prove disastrous."

"While I'm certain Sirius would enjoy being in his class, it would be the easiest one for him to blow his cover as well," Remus muttered.

"Am I going to be allowed to tell my friends or does this need to be kept secret?" Silas asked hopefully.

"Ahh, well, originally we hadn't wanted you to, but your friends know you too well and would be able to tell something was up. So yes, you may tell Miss Granger and Mister Weasley, but only under secure wards at Grimmauld Place where you will be going after your test with Professor Snape later today," Dumbledore winked at him with those damnable twinkling eyes.

Silas just nodded and walked towards the door which opened to let him out. What he really wanted was time to think, but he realized that Snape was probably looking for him. He muttered something about how Dumbledore was being unfair by springing this on him so suddenly without time to prepare.

"Ahh, Mister Potter, it's about time you showed up, or should I saw, Mister Lupin?" He said maliciously, glaring as if Christmas had come early, or in his case, hadn't been cancelled. "I dare say this is a waste of time, but the Headmaster requested that since you are a 'new student,' you should be given a chance to be enrolled in my prestigious class. Well, what are you waiting for?" He snapped, "Directions are on the board and you have two hours."

Two hours later, Silas stood over the cauldron that was hissing and had turned a noxious shade of green. He just hoped that some of what he'd just brewed didn't end up in his drink later. If he was going back to Grimmauld, he couldn't be sure what would happen considering Kreacher was most likely still around.

"Potter," Snape sneered down at the boy and had startled him out of his reverie, "Do you even know what you made?"

"Yes sir, the Draught of the Living Death, sir," he said meekly, starting down at the cauldron, refusing to meet the man's eye.

Snape raised his eyebrow slightly, surprised that a correct answered had been issued from the 'famous Harry Potter."

"As much as it pains me to say this, correct and so is the potion. Perhaps there is some hope to that pitiful excuse that you call a brain," the man snarled, finishing up with his trademark insult. Silas was waved out of the room and as he was walking, his mind wandered and didn't see McGonagall as he smacked into her head on.

"Mister Potter, please watch where you are going. I don't appreciate being knocked over at every turn I take," she huffed, flattening down the stray hairs that managed to escape from the strict bun.

"Sorry ma'am, it won't happen again. It's just I came from Professor Snape's test so my mind wasn't watching my surroundings."

"See that it doesn't, and I was asked to tell you that both Mister Black and your father are looking for you."

Silas nodded and headed back off, but realized he had no idea as to where the two men were. Shrugging, the young man headed up to the Headmaster's office to ask him where they were. Minutes passed by and soon he found himself once again in the room and wasn't terribly surprised to see Remus and Sirius looking back at him.

"I told you that you had a smart cub," Sirius grinned as Silas slumped in a chair.

"Now what?"

"Just that you managed to one up Snape enough to let him into your class next semester," Sirius beamed at him, but Silas knew that it was because now he could pull pranks.

"Is there a point to being in his class? I don't need it anymore really."

"Harry, just because of what you are, doesn't mean you shouldn't want to do your best. Yes, many places will look down upon you, but to give up is just want they want you to do," Albus told him gently, as Fawkes swept down and perched atop Silas's shoulder. The presence of the phoenix seemed to sooth the young lad for the time being.

"Ready to go? Mrs. Weasley is expecting us for dinner," Remus asked quietly in that hoarse voice of his. Silas knew he wasn't being fair to the man, especially since he hadn't known. He smiled at the three occupants in the room and nodded. It was time to move on.

* * *

All his stuff had already been transported over to Grimmauld Place, and he looked over nervously at Sirius who was now in disguise as Harry Potter. Albus had conjured a pair of glasses that matched Silas's old ones, and had transfigured his into a pair of silver rimmed square frames. While Ron and Hermione could know, everyone else was to remain clueless about the situation. That meant Silas had to done some of Remus's shabby robes instead of the overgrown threads that were now on Sirius.

Sirius resolved to give almost everything to Remus, Silas, and "Harry Potter" so that it wouldn't look strange if his friend suddenly had a considerable amount of money to use. But for the moment, they made do with what clothing they had. A portkey had been made and the three had gone to the edge of the wards to find themselves outside Grimmauld Place in an alley.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley screamed as she opened the door to let them inside and pulled Sirius into a big bear hug. He grinned lopsidedly and thanked her before letting the other two in. "And Remus, it's good to see you, but who's this strapping young man?" She asked, carefully looking at Silas.

"Ahh, sorry Molly, this is my son, Silas Alexander whom has transferred here since his old school closed down. He and Harry have been hitting if off for the last few days at Hogwarts and I thought perhaps he'd enjoy some others around his age," Remus smiled, catching the inquisitive glance he was getting from Molly.

"Well, Silas, since you already are friends with Harry, then you must have heard about Ron and Hermione who are here also. You know the house, Harry, so why don't you give him a tour and introduce him to your friends. Dinner will be served shortly so get washed up as well."

Sirius grinned and grabbed Silas by the hand to drag him towards the bedrooms where they saw Ron and Hermione going at it in a game of Wizard's Chess. She must have finally gotten over her thinking that the game was barbaric as it looked as if she was clobbering Ron. For a few minutes they just stood there, waiting for one of the two to look up from the board, but luck wasn't with them so Sirius cleared his throat.

"Harry!" Hermione looked surprised to see him standing in the door along with a stranger.

"Hey mate, who's this?" Ron asked, eying up Silas carefully. "Kinda looks like a mix between a Potter and a Lupin."

With this, Silas felt his heart stop; the James in him was still visible even if the scar had been transfigured into three slashes across his forehead that looked as if he'd been scratched by some type of animal. He gulped and glanced over at Sirius as if to ask him what they should do.

"I guess the jig is up already, Silas. Time to tell them the truth, hang on, I'll be right back." Sirius chuckled and went downstairs to snag Remus, appearing back in the room a moment later. "Okay Moony, if you'd be so kind as to throw up some wards to keep prying ears out, that'd be excellent. Now, Ron, Hermione, what we are about to tell you needs to be kept secret from everyone outside this room, with the exception of a few professors who are also privy to this information."

"Okay, what is going on here?" Ron asked, clearly confused.

"Ready Moony?" Sirius asked while giving Silas a squeeze on the shoulder for reassurance.

"Ready as I'll every be, Padfoot," the werewolf replied, sitting down nervously next to Silas. The two stared at the on goings in sheer bewilderment.

"Umm, why are you calling Harry, Padfoot?" Hermione inquired, her piercing gaze landing on Sirius.

"Simple, that is Padfoot in disguise as Harry Potter," Remus answered, amused by the gaping looks he was receiving.

"So where is Harry?" Ron wanted to know, Hermione nodding to show she too wanted answers.

"In between Moony and Padfoot," a soft voice came for the first time since entering the room.

"So! Someone want to explain why Harry looks like the sprog of Lupin and James Potter, how Sirius is here, and why he looks like Harry?" Ron grinned, thinking this was all a big hoax.

"Ron, this isn't a joke, I'm sure we could even find some Veritaserum if needed," Sirius put in, for a change, being serious. "As for why I'm here, I was sent back to Earth because Lily and James had unfinished business that I needed to relay. My spirit was sent into the body of young Wayne Hopkins after his own spirit had died."

"But that still doesn't explain Harry and why you look like him," Hermione piped up.

"Oh, this illusion was done by Flitwick. Rather handy that man is with a wand at times, especially when it comes to charms," Sirius grinned, running a hand through his short, messy hair.

"So Harry is just under an illusion spell as well?"

"No Hermione, Ron, in fact the spell that I was under is wearing off.." Silas responded, hoping they would understand.

"So that would mean Professor Lupin is your father?" Hermione deduced, peering at his face. Silas nodded and looked as if he wanted nothing more than to flee the room.

"You must be delighted then! I mean you have a father who is alive and aren't alone anymore," Hermione pointed out for him, but he wasn't listening anymore as he dashed out of the room.

"Anyone want to take a shot to explain that?" Ron muttered.

"He really hasn't been talking to us, but we think it's about what's going to happen on his birthday," Remus said in not much louder than a whisper.

"And what is that?" Hermione frowned.

"The day he becomes a werewolf," Remus answered and then followed his son's lead and fled the room. It was time for dinner and Sirius came down with Ron and Hermione while Moony had finally caught Silas in a corner of the basement. His head had been buried in his arms and looked as if he was on the verge of cracking again. Gently, the older man sat next to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ron probably hates me now," Silas muttered darkly.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because Ron is one of those people who is afraid and doesn't like non-humans," Silas replied simply.

Remus sighed softly and looked down at his son who had taken off his glasses and was rubbing at his eyes. "We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose. Have your eyes been bothering you a lot lately?"

"For the last couple of days, yes."

The werewolf snatched the glasses from his son and tapped his wand against them and handed the frames back. "That better?"

"Yeah, thanks, what did you do?" Silas asked, adjusting the unfamiliar frames on his face.

"Seems your eyesight problem was caused by the potion Lily gave you. I just lowered the prescription, but I'd suspect you won't need them soon."

"I guess we should head over to the kitchen for dinner before Mrs. Weasley sets Kreacher on us," Silas glanced over, trying to humor the situation.

"Oh, did we forget to tell you? Kreacher is no more," Remus grinned, relieved his son was finally talking to him.

"Thank Merlin," was all that needed to be said as the duo walked into the nearby room, as for some reason, the kitchen was in the basement. People had all the sudden appeared out of no where since Ginny, Fred, George, Mister Weasley, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Minerva and Snape had all shown up. Silas had a hunch as to why the Potions master was there, but didn't want to think about it.

"Ahh there you two are, I was wondering if I was going to have to send out the search squad. No matter, now eat! You both are too skinny as it is!" Molly scolded them as she ushered them to the table that was filled with enough food to fill an army. Silas smiled slightly as Hermione sat next to his side, Sirius on the other, but Ron had distanced himself from the three. It hurt, but he expected it since Ron didn't generally accept change easily.

Dinner was a loud affair, but Silas heard very little of it. He wondered just how much he'd be shunned at school if Ron's reaction was typical. While he knew Sirius and Hermione would be there for him, he didn't know if many others would, or if he'd even be in the same house. If that happened, he didn't know how he would handle the monthly transformations.

"Hey, Silas, come on, time for bed," Sirius called and they headed to their room which Ron wasn't in. Hermione must have informed Molly about her son's reaction and fixed up another room. The young werewolf promptly fell asleep.

The next morning, Silas found himself being woken up by the drooling tongue of Padfoot. He muttered something incompressible and shoved the dog off his bed and rolled back over. It was the holidays and he wanted to sleep. While asleep, he didn't have to think about what was going on, instead just a death eater meeting once in awhile.

"Oh no, none of that, I am not going to spend my free time before having to go back to schoolwork sleeping. And I bet you have stuff to do as well, I mean, what about that summer homework, eh?"

Silas threw a pillow at his face.

"Hey! That's not nice! Get your arse off that bed before I use Snape's technique and douse you with a bucket of ice water!"

That seemed to do the trick and Silas grumbled and tumbled out of the bed. He looked around the room for some clothes, but realized he'd forgotten to ask Moony for more. The clothing situation would be figured out today, even if it meant taking money from his vault and using to buy proper clothing for himself and father.

"Here," Sirius tossed some of his old clothing at Silas, "This should do the trick until we go shopping. And before you ask, when I had made out my will, I'd left everything to you and Moony ironically so you guys have plenty of money now."

"But you're still alive."

"Yes, well, the Ministry doesn't know that, and since I'm "Harry Potter," I'll be using the money you have from Lily and James, and what "Sirius Black" had given me, I'll just tack that on to what Moony was already getting," He added with a wink.

"Okay, that didn't make sense, but if I'm getting new clothes, then so are you. Those things from the Dursleys need to be burned," Silas muttered, pulling on the clothes Sirius had worn before his trip through the veil. They were a bit long, but they were better than Remus's shabby robes, and 'Harry's' old things. He followed Sirius down to the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley had once again outdone herself. He sat down next to his father and gave him a smile before proceeding to attack the plate of food in front of him.

Ron had taken a seat next to his brothers and as far away from Sirius and Silas as he could get. It still stung, knowing that his friend was so shallow minded on this. Much of the conversation was focused on the shopping trip planned for the day, even if their supply lists hadn't been sent yet. Hermione was grinning, even if she wasn't one to be overly concerned about clothes, it was a different matter when you had three men who were in desperate need of new attire.

"Well, if the three of you are ready, I say we head out to Diagon Alley now," Molly said with a smile as she pulled out the Floo Powder. Moody had agreed to come along since they didn't know what could happen. Once everyone had gone through, the first stop was at Gringotts to take care of the financial situation. It seemed that goblins could care less if it was Sirius Black's money they were handling and soon left with enough to buy the entire household at Grimmauld a new wardrobe.

"Now to get you gentlemen looking like the proper wizards you are supposed to be," Hermione grinned and tugged on Silas's hand to drag him inside a nearby store.

A few hours later they left with an ample amount of clothing, and money bags considerably lighter. Remus, being the sensible one, remembered to shrink the purchases so that carrying them wouldn't be necessary. Silas glanced over at the Magical Menagerie and realized he wouldn't be able to keep Hedwig anymore. Remus caught sight of this and directed the group into the store.

For awhile, he didn't see anything that would really work for him, but just before they left, his eyes caught sight of a shaggy black puppy sleeping in a cage. He didn't think dogs were allowed, but then again, Ron had brought Scabbers for the first three years. Reaching into the cage, he gently grabbed a hold of the pup and brought him to his face.

"Would Dumbledore let me bring him?" Silas asked, running fingers through the scruffy fur.

"I think so, otherwise we can keep him at home, but I believe Albus wouldn't mind. Besides, the more company on the full moon, the better," Remus grinned and looked at Sirius, who was in turn, smirking at Hermione as if some big plot was forming.

"Great!" He handed over the needed money for his dog, along with some basic supplies. The pup, who'd been designated 'Padfoot' by none other than Sirius, would make for a good companion, especially on the full moons. "So, anywhere else before we head back home?"

"I believe Lupin is itching to go over to Flourish and Blotts for a bit," Mad-Eye grumbled in that gruff voice.

Once inside, the group separated, Remus and Sirius took off in one direction, Hermione and Silas in another, and Moody and Molly stood guard at the door. Padfoot squirmed in his arms and realized he might want to grab a book or two on puppy care. Later the group rejoined each other at the counter, both Lupins with a stack of books that put Hermione to shame. Silas blushed furiously as he handed Padfoot to Sirius so he could hang on to them all.

"What are all of those?" Sirius stared, not believe anyone would want to read so much, especially over holidays.

"Umm, a few on puppy care and training, curses, got to use Malfoy as the target, a couple of potion manuals since Snape is itching to throw me out of the class already, and of course more Quidditch books," he responded, hoping he had enough to distracted himself for the summer.

"Well, come along everyone! It's almost time for lunch so we'd best hurry!" Molly ushered them into the fireplace, one by one and were once again back at Grimmauld. The occupants scattered and Silas found himself alone in his room. He sighed and placed Padfoot in a pile of blankets and stared blankly at the wall.

"Hey, what's the matter? Silas turned to see his father standing in the doorway.

"Thinking about what is going to happen on my birthday, well, "Harry's" birthday, since I really don't know," he replied softly.

"I thought it might be something like that, here," he pulled out a few more books, "I saw these at the store and thought maybe you'd like to read them."

"Thanks, I'm sure they'll help," a warm smile spread on his face as he looked at his father. It seemed that he did care about him already, and it made Silas feel better.

"Ahh, there you two infernal beings are. I had no intentions of tracking you two down anymore than I had to," Severus scowled and handed each of them a goblet. The smell was foul and Silas wanted nothing more than to empty his stomach after the potion had been consumed. Unfortunately he knew that he'd have to drink that rank potion a few more times this week before the full moon.

"More has been left with Molly in the kitchen as I know you both need it. Pity you both are so terribly inept with potions that you can't brew this yourself." And with that, Snape spun around and stalked off with his robes billowing out behind.

Silas groaned inwardly and took off his glasses once again to rub his sore eyes and wasn't surprised when his father had tapped the want against the lenses once more. "Most likely after today you won't need them anymore."

"Thanks, but I guess we should head down to lunch as I'm sure Mrs. Weasley wants to work on fattening us up even more," he grinned lopsidedly and ran a hand through his hair which was still too long in his opinion. At some point he'd get someone to cut more off, but right now, he was hungry.

"Come on then, kiddo. I'm sure you want that foul taste out of your mouth as well," Remus ruffled his son's long hair and started out of the room. Silas caught up and gave him a quick smile as they approached the kitchen.

"You two seem to be cursed to be the last ones at this table every time," Tonks said with a chuckle, already stuffing her face with the sandwiches. Rolling his eyes, Silas plopped himself down next to Hermione and Sirius once again and devoured the plate he was staring at.

The next few days went by quickly, falling into the routine of waking up, eating, studying and working on his homework and then finding time to spend with his father at night. He couldn't deny he was genuinely enjoying Remus's presence now, especially since the man really did care about him and wished to talk about their lives and such. The older man attempted to pass on his knowledge about werewolves and what actually happened during the full moon.

But then, July 31st had come upon them.

((A/N: Heh, when I did a word count on this thing, the actual chapter came out to be 4000 words precisely. Just one of those amusing things I noticed late at night.))


	5. The Change

_((A/N: Okay! Hi everyone! Finally got the chapter you all have been waiting for finished. And I figured I'd better get it out before moving tomorrow since I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to type again. Moving to the dorms so I might also not be around for a bit until my computer can be set up again. Grr..damn._

**_Hermione Malfoy Potter_**_: Ron is always a prat. But I explained why in passing during this chapter. I'm not certain if I'm going to have him be reintroduced to the story or not since he's never been a favorite of mine._

**_Lady Phasma_**_: I feel like kicking Ron's arse too. But believe me; you'll want to even more after this chapter. As for Padfoot, I'm not really sure at the moment. He could very well end up being there for a reason, or just a pet. _

**_DARKMARK33LV_**_Well, I was going to cut Silas's hair, but well, remember that he thought Bill was cool with his long hair? Yup, he's corrupted. As for HP3, I feel like bloody murdering the director on how he did the werewolves. But yes, the werewolves described by JK Rowlings look very similar to a real wolf, only minuet details separate the two._

_**Joulez:** Thanks! So here's some more. _

_**Analia:** Hehe, I like how Silas is reading more too. How else is he gonna get more powerful? ;) As for the relationship, I don't think anyone could rush into just finding a parent, but after this chapter, things should be a bit more smooth sailing._

_**Anon**: Well, here's more!_

_**VB:** Ahh, thank you! I forgot to add that explanation about what they were going to say about Harry/Silas's mother. This is why Madam Bones is now the Minister instead of Fudge._

**_ChristinaLupin01442_**_ Thank ya! I checked into your story and liked it as well; unfortunately I couldn't leave a response since the reviewing thing was down! As for "To Be a Werewolf," I have one thing to say: I want that updated soon!_

**_w0lf1e_**_ Thank you! Always a nice feeling to be complimented on one's writing skills._

_**Dragonbluephoenix:** Padfoot the puppy just was one of those spur of the moment things, although he could become useful later. As for Ron, well, he's a prat as is explained in this chapter. Heh, and Silas is going to have lots of support from Hermione soon. ;)_

**_Tia Evans_**_ Thank ya! I have one thing to say to you: UPDATE YOUR STORY! As for Silas and Snape, hahha, I have a very devious plot on how to make the two interact, even if they don't like each other. Heheh, oh yes, Snape shall stay his snarky self, especially after the next chapter._

**_Shea Loner_**_ Of course not! If Harry ever got a break, then there'd be no story!_

**_hermoine21_**_ Thanks! Soon enough for ya?_

_Now, on to the story!))_

* * *

The first thought Silas had that morning was, "Oh bloody hell." It was his birthday, even if not everyone could know. They'd be celebrating 'Harry Potter's' birthday though since Mrs. Weasley wanted to give him a party as he'd never actually had one before. But when he'd stumbled out of bed, there was a smile pile of presents waiting for him. At that point, Sirius had woken up and saw his godson starting at the packages.

"What? You didn't think we'd forget your birthday, did you?" He smirked, and tossed a box in bright red paper at him. Inside was a silver chain with a dog charm made out of onyx. Silas stared at it in wonder.

"This way you know I'll always be there for you even if I'm not around," the Animagus told him.

"Thanks mate, it means a lot to me," he whispered and slipped the pendant over his head.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Sirius grunted, shoving the pile back to Silas's feet. They boy took the hint and soon bits of wrapping paper littered the floor, as well as on top of Sirius's hair. Hermione had given him more books, although he couldn't resist a laugh when he saw she'd sent, "Hogwarts, A History." He'd been surprised though, but the gifts from Dumbledore and McGonagall, but they'd probably wanted to make sure that he'd gotten something at least for his birthday.

"I think people are trying to tell me something," he groaned as yet another book fell into his lap. The one from Minerva was predictably a lengthy volume consisting of complicated Transfiguration spells, but the one from Dumbledore on hand to hand combat promised to be interesting. The usual rock cakes from Hagrid were among the small pile of presents as well as a hand whittled figurine of a wolf.

"I'm guessing that would be Moony," Sirius announced after thoroughly examining it.

"Hagrid always has a knack for coming up with interesting gifts, although I'm still wary of his rock cakes. I daresay that book in my third year and the wallet could be classified as lethal," Silas smiled fondly, recalling some of his happier memories.

"There's one more," Sirius mentioned and at the same time, broke Silas out of his reverie.

* * *

-Silas-

I know things have been rocky, and understandably so, but I hope you'll accept this. Albus has mentioned in passing how disturbing some of your memories and dreams can be and I thought this may help. Use it well, and happy birthday.

* * *

Underneath the letter was a mess of scribbles that he made out to be as 'Remus,' and 'your father,' but kept 'Moony' visible. It seemed that the man didn't know how to sign the letter, and Silas didn't know how he would've preferred, so was glad to see 'Moony' had signed.

Silas took the large package from Sirius with trembling hands and slowly undid the paper. Inside was a dark cherry Pensieve with simple Celtic knot work adorning the edges. He really was touched that Moony had put that much thought into the gift. Quickly throwing on a shirt and a simple pair of trousers, Silas headed downstairs to where his father was sitting in one of the chairs, reading a book on defense. He walked over carefully so he wouldn't be heard, and tightly wrapped his arms around his father.

"I take it you liked it?" Remus asked, smiling from the embrace.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"You're scent," he tapped his nose, "One of the 'perks' to being a werewolf."

At that moment little Padfoot had come down the stairs and was carrying Silas's boxers in his mouth, although it looked as if they were already chewed up. Understandably, Silas was annoyed and he grabbed the shredded boxers from the pup's mouth.

"Just be glad you won't be doing that. I should hope you have enough taste to at least go for women's lingerie instead of men's boxers," he smirked, trying to raise the mood that was looming over him. Silas shot a glare at him.

"At least I've never rolled around in piles that Sirius made during the full moon," Silas shot back.

"Yes, well, I regret telling you that now."

Silas grinned and sat down in a chair next to his father. He'd brought one of the books, "Hogwarts, A History," since he was supposed to be a new student who didn't know anything about the school. It was nice just sitting there, not having to worry about anything in particular, well, other than the foreboding night.

"Hey you two, breakfast is ready, and I want my two best mates there for my 'birthday party,'" Sirius snickered, his glasses falling down his nose. Remus glanced down at his son and realized that in the week the charms had been removed, and the potion running its course, Silas had lost all traces of James and had even stopped wearing the glasses.

Breakfast was an extravagant affair, all of 'Harry's' friends surrounding the table with presents lining the wall nearby. Silas smiled sadly at the thought of having another birthday not celebrated. Most of the day was spent with the Weasley twins who'd taken the day off to see 'Harry' and provide the entertainment.

Dinner came quickly and the guests were graced with a chocolate cake with raspberry filling that had little frosting snitches zipping back and forth on the top. Sirius made a spectacle of himself by trying to catch one and ended up with frosting all over his hands. A pile of presents were shoved over to the man, but Silas excused himself and headed back to his room.

"Hey, you might want this," Remus mentioned as he popped his head into the room. Two goblets of the steaming potion were in his hands and passed one over to his son. "Dear ol' Snape showed up especially for tonight to drop these off."

"Where are we going to be tonight?"

"In this room and Albus will be by shortly to seal it from everyone, although I'm sure he'll find a way to allow Sirius in."

"I've been thinking about something; when school starts again, what are we going to say about my mother?" He asked carefully.

"Unfortunately you won't be able to call Lily your mother at school. Albus sent the message from Lily to the Minister Bones to clear me, but the two decided that it was better to continue having "Harry Potter" stay at Hogwarts so that the public wouldn't panic. So no one at the Ministry other than Madam Bones knows who your mother is. And most people your age don't have the slightest clue as to what Lily actually looked like, so you shouldn't run into problems," he added kindly, waving a wand to clean up the mess that was still littering the floor from earlier.

Silas let a smile grace his changed face and leaned next to Remus. What he'd just been told had been bothering him for a few days and he hadn't known how it would be resolved. While his eyes weren't the same startling green anymore, they still had that ability to draw one in, and it was amplified with the lack of glasses.

"You going to be alright tonight?" Remus asked cautiously, not entirely certain as to how to approach the subject.

"Probably not, but there's nothing we can do about it," Silas told him logically while staring at the setting sun. "How much longer."

"Maybe a half an hour or so- the length of the full moon is shorter in the summer. So at least your first moon is one of the shortest."

"I guess that's good and umm, am I going to be using the Shrieking Shack once school starts?"

"That's the plan, although you won't be alone."

"Yeah, Sirius said he'd keep me company."

"Yes him, but I'll also be around. After the Death Eater in disguise and that Ministry woman, it seems that parents would rather have a werewolf who they know will teach their children properly. Not like the two you had in your beginning years were much better."

"Hey, that's great though, I mean the Slytherins might not harass me as much if you being there as a teacher," Silas grinned, realizing just how many secrets of the castle he could make Sirius and Moony spill.

"I fear what you and Sirius are going to do to that poor school. Hogwarts isn't ready for another generation of Marauders yet. I think I regret giving that Map back to you now."

"Well, since I won't be playing Quidditch anymore, I need something else to keep me occupied besides reading," Silas muttered, suddenly turning downcast.

"Surely with the Weasley twins leaving, it's opened up a few more spots?"

"Who in their right mind would want a werewolf on the team?"

Remus didn't reply, but rather, put his arm around his son's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Dumbledore chose that moment to enter the room.

"Are you both set?" The two werewolves nodded, "Then I'm going to put an Indestructible Charm on the room incase the potion doesn't work yet for young Silas as well as Sealing charms on the door so no one, save Sirius, may enter. He should be up here shortly, or once he can escape Molly's clutches, although I might have to intervene." He chuckled and waved his wand around a few times and left the room.

At that moment Padfoot crawled into Silas's lap and licked his face. "Should he be in here? I mean, I'm not going to hurt him, am I?"

"You shouldn't, and if the Wolfsbane works properly, you'll be able to keep your mind and not give into the instincts. Even if it doesn't, he'll still be safe since I was around the Marauders in Animagus form and I never hurt them."

About ten minutes later Sirius came stumbling into the room and grinned lopsidedly. "Looks like I got here just in time," he smirked as the moon began to become visible in the night sky. Padfoot Sr. and Padfoot Jr. sat side by side as Silas collapsed onto the floor and Remus grabbed a hold of a chair.

Remus, while the transformation hurt, was able to watch his son change for the first time. Silas was curled up in a fetal position with his hands digging into the wooden floorboards. Reddish-grey fur was running down his body and completely covered him in a matter of seconds. His ears pushed out and moved more towards the top of his head. Hands and feet curled into deadly paws with claws that put deep scratches into the floor. A sickening crack was heard around the room as both backs snapped and left the werewolves on all fours.

Silas groaned in pain as his mouth pushed out and left him with a muzzle and his green-blue eyes faded to a warm amber color. The final and very painful change was as his tail pushed through his ripped clothing. A long, painful howl let the others know that the change was over. He wasn't as big as Moony, but then again, he wasn't fully grown yet.

Sirius padded over to Silas tentatively, not sure if he was in control or not, and head butted the tightly curled ball of fur. Moony whined and nosed his cub, trying to get him to move around. The ball of fur closed itself even tighter and tucked his tail over his nose. Their only guess was that the potion hadn't worked properly since there had been so much pain during the transformation.

Two matching black dogs settled down next to Silas, as well as Moony to comfort the young cub, but Silas didn't want it; he uncurled and staggered to his unfamiliar feet before hiding himself under the bed.

As Sirius went to crawl next to him, he was met by a face full of bared, sharp teeth that normally was his godson. Both dogs and grown wolf backed away from the angry growling being emitted from underneath the bed. Snarling continued to fill the room along with painful sounds of scratching as the hours passed, every once in awhile Remus and Sirius exchanged glances.

The crack of dawn couldn't have come sooner. Rays of light broke through the window and hit Silas in the face. A few minutes later left him back in human form, albeit naked. His body was still reeling in pain from the transformation back and collapsed in a heap on the bed. Fresh bite marks and deep scratches lined his body, that were still seeping blood onto the sheets.

"Silas, come on, you need to get cleaned up so these don't get infected," Remus's hoarse voice came, trying to rouse the boy from the bed.

"Moony's right kid, you don't want to have to visit Madam Pomfrey again until we're back at Hogwarts, right?" Sirius told him softly.

That did the trick. Silas went to stand up and started to fall, only to be caught in his father's arms. Remus sighted and carried him down to the bathroom.

"Oh dear! What happened?" Exclaimed Molly as she looked upon Silas's battered body.

"We did mention that this was his first time transforming. Unfortunately the potion didn't work properly and he bit and scratched himself."

"I'll go get some mild healing potions for the poor dear." She turned out of the hallway and Remus was finally able to get into the bathroom.

A flick of the wrist and hot water filled the tub which Silas was then lowered into. The boy was barely conscious as Remus scrubbed the wounds that lined the body. Once satisfied that there'd be no infections, he dried his son and helped get him into some loose fitting pajamas. Molly stuck her head in and handed a few vials to Remus, who in turn, helped Silas drink them.

"Thanks, dad," Silas slurred before falling asleep.

Remus felt a warmth grown inside as Silas called him 'dad,' even if it probably hadn't been intentional. The night had been long and as he placed his cub on the bed, he collapsed on Sirius's out of sheer exhaustion.

* * *

Silas cracked open his eyes and glanced around the room, only to see his father still dozing next to him. He vaguely remembered being taken care of by Moony and felt a bit better when noticing that many of the cuts had already started to heal. A growl from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since the party the day before.

"Well! You're looking better than this morning," Mrs. Weasley stated when she saw the newcomer in the door.

"Yes ma'am, thank you for the potions," he muttered, not liking all eyes on him.

"Why would you waste potions on a werewolf?" snarled Ron, just barely audible, but with now enhanced senses, Silas heard it and shrunk down in his seat.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mister Weasley," Remus said disapprovingly as Ron flushed a deeper red than his hair and stalked out of the room.

"You'll have to excuse him; unfortunately when the brains at the Ministry were on him, they affected his thoughts in a negative way. Although, I won't tolerate him insulting people like that." She frowned and headed out. Silas caught bits and pieces of the one sided conversation and felt a little bit better that not all people hated him.

After eating as much as humanly possible, Silas made his way into the small library that Grimmauld harbored. Hermione was in there, nose in a book as usual. As she caught sight of him, her face brightened and enveloped him in a hug.

"Are you alright? I mean, you didn't have those scratches yesterday? Didn't the potion work? Was Ron being a complete git?"

Silas couldn't help but smile. "Slow down Hermione or you might hurt yourself. Yes, I'm alright now, but this morning I woke up with a lot of blood everywhere and Moony took care of me so I'm feeling much better. Ron would probably be happy if I dropped over dead, and as for the potion, I'm not sure since I haven't asked Moony yet."

"Are you ever going to call him 'dad'?" Hermione asked feeling a bit exasperated.

"He already did this morning, although I don't know if he remembers," Remus offered shyly.

"You know, you have a habit of showing up in the middle of conversations, don't you?" Silas smirked.

"Hermione, Harry asked me to pass the message on that he needs to see you in the 'you-know-what' room in a few minutes. Augh, he's going to drive me crazy this year." He watched amused as his son was gazing longingly at Hermione. "You like her, don't you?" He chuckled after the girl had left.

"What makes you say that?" Silas spluttered, clearly embarrassed from being asked.

"As Severus has mentioned before- you tend to wear your emotions on your sleeve. You know, Hermione reminds me a lot of Lily; both intelligent and uptight about the rules. The main one though, is that each is accepting of things that others aren't generally able to."

"I, umm, should be going, yeah."

Remus smiled gently, "Silas, sit down, I need to talk to you. Last night, we could tell you were in pain, but what we need to know is if you had control of the wolf or not."

Silas sighed and moved over to stare out the window. "The entire time I had to fight the wolf so I wouldn't attack you. That's why when you, Sirius, and Padfoot came next to me, I had to move. I had to bite and scratch myself so I was kept occupied and the less I let my mind wander, the better."

Remus came over and gave him a big hug. "The potion should work next time, and if not, we'll get Snape to tweak it until it does. It might've just been because it was your initial transformation."

"So it's not normally that bad?" Silas inquired, voice laced with desperation.

"No, believe me, if the potion works, the pain is dulled and you're in control as if it were almost an Animagus form." Remus hated to see the boy have to accept even more changes in his life. First all the initial shocks of being a wizard, finding out he was the boy-who-lived, dealt with Voldemort and dark wizards more times than one should like, only to find out you were lied to about your parentage and to top it off with becoming a werewolf. Remus was amazed that he hadn't gone off on a massive killing spree yet.

For the first time since the Remus had known him, Silas cried into Remus's cloak. Everything had been kept bottled up inside and the transformation had finally pushed him over the edge. "It hurt so much, almost as bad as the Cruciatus Curse," he sniffled, although thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being held.

"Hey, you're going to be okay, you're a strong kid. If Voldemort can't take you out after five times is it now? I doubt being a werewolf will. Although, next time you meet up with the arse, give him a punch to the face; inhuman strength does have its advantages," Remus winked, knowing that Draco Malfoy would be the test dummy.

"I just realized something; if I get in trouble, someone is actually going to yell now."

Remus couldn't help but laugh. "Well, if it's not life threatening like the one we tried to pull on Severus, I'll just say it must have been the work of the new Marauders."

"Are you sure you want someone following the footsteps of a prankster and get everyone in trouble?"

"Live up to the reputation, besides, Sirius will be there."

"Aww hell, I'll need Hermione's help to master some of those spells."

"Hey, it just means you can spend extra time with her," Remus grinned as his son blushed.

"Bugger off."

Remus chuckled and left his son in the library, relieved that he was doing better. Silas was miffed though at his father's teasings about Hermione. Sure, he liked her, but not like that, right? He scowled and delved into the potions books he'd picked up.

"You're still in here?" Hermione exclaimed, "Come on, it's dinner time, incase you hadn't noticed.

Silas looked at the clock and realized that he'd just spent the last few hours reading without even noticing the amount of time gone by. "Uh, yeah, sure, dinner sounds good," he muttered, although not making any moves to get up.

"Oh come on!" She sighed, exasperated and pulled him out of the room and into the kitchen by his hand.

Once again he was bombarded by questions from the Order members about how he was. It really did make him feel uncomfortable, especially with Snape sneering at him the entire time. Sirius came to his rescue and told everyone that he was challenging "The bloody-too-smart-for-his-own-good-werewolf's son" to a game of Wizard's chess, and headed off to visitors so Silas could get some sleep.

"Get your lazy arse out of that bed! We have places to go and things to do, so if you're not up in the next five seconds, you'll be getting a bucket full of ice water to the face," was the next thing Silas heard. He grumbled and fell off the bed, only to see Sirius laughing at him.

"Get your wolf hide into the shower; I swear, I haven't smelled anything that rank since James set off a stink-bomb covered in Limburger cheese, although, the look on Filch's face was worth it."

"Just what are we going to be doing today?"

"Ahh, well, we can't have you going off to Hogwarts without any supplies, no?"

"I think sleep would be better than replacing all my junk since Dumbledore saw fit to hand it all away," Silas grumbled, agitated from having to do more shopping. As soon as he'd grabbed fresh clothing, he made his way towards the bathroom. After peeling off the clothing, he idly realized that his legs were harrier than they used to be. It felt good to wash the cuts clean again and for awhile, he just stood there enjoying the warm water splashing against his skin.

About a half hour later a banging came from the door and became conscious of the fact that people were probably looking for him and stepped out of the shower. The next thing he knew was that Hermione was staring at him from the doorway.

"Wow, umm, Silas, I didn't realize you were so well endowed, or is it an enhancement from the transformation?"

"HERMIONE! OUT!" He screeched while flying around for a towel.

But she was right- the transformation had left him better endowed than he had been. He blushed at having been seen naked by the girl he was attracted to. Grabbing the clothing, he dressed and then attacked the snarls in his hair before heading down to the clan of Weasleys, his father, Tonks, Sirius, McGonagall, and Hermione who was blushing herself. Without saying a word, he plopped down next to Remus and tore into the food; he had no intentions of telling about the bathroom incident.

"So we're going to be watching out for Harry, Silas, Hermione, Ron and Ginny?" Tonks questioned, looking slightly disturbed by the fact that there were five of the kids to watch. It was up to her, Molly, and Remus to keep the kids in order and quite frankly, it didn't sound like much fun.

"Unfortunately, and I daresay that Silas Hermione are going to want to stay in Flourish and Blotts while Ron, Harry, and Ginny would prefer wasting all their money in Zonko's or the twin's shop," Remus groaned, not liking how the day would most likely play out.

"Might as well get this over with," Molly frowned, clearly not looking forward to the shopping trip either.

The group of kids came stumbling into the room, ready to leave despite Ron's constant glares towards Silas. They were ushered outside where there were two muggle taxies waiting at the house next to them. Silas, Sirius, Remus, and Hermione piled into one while Molly, Ron, Ginny, and Tonks climbed into the other. Even with being cramped, the ride was enjoyable nevertheless.

Once the cab drivers had left the area, the group entered the Leaky Cauldron where the hustle and bustle was just as loud as ever. To Silas's sensitive hearing, it was enough to give him a nasty headache. Unfortunately the streets of Diagon Alley weren't much better.

It seemed strange to be re-buying all his supplies as if he were a first year all over again. Luckily that didn't take long and soon the group found themselves being split into two parts- the bookish and the pranksters. Silas was relieved at leaving Ron since he was becoming annoyed with the despised looks every five minutes. But now that he had his class list, they were able to pick up both the books for classes along with more for pleasure.

Silas had thought a few times that parts of his personality were changing to be more similar to Remus now than how he'd previously treated his education. He'd always been a quiet person, unless provoked that is, and had a conscience that would make him feel guilty about mistreating someone, unlike James. He wasn't worried about being placed in Slytherin anymore, but rather, Ravenclaw with his obsessive studying habits. Perhaps it was why he made a good teacher for the DA.

"Care to enlighten me as to what has you so lost in thoughts?" Hermione asked, breaking his concentration.

"I was just thinking about how much more like Moony I really am."

"Ahh, the "you both make good teachers and read too much for your own good" thing?" She grinned, swatting playfully at his long hair. "Are you ever going to get this cut?"

"I asked Moony to chop the blasted stuff off, but he keeps refusing; something about not being coordinated with a scissors. But aside from having to brush it, I think it looks pretty cool, a lot like Bill's."

"You are impossible, you know that?" She teased, idly running her fingers through his hair.

"Of course I am; it's fun to be such an impossible bastard some days. Not to mention, I think you'd miss running your fingers through it."

"Are you sure Snape didn't somehow get mixed in there as well?"

"Quite frankly, if you put Snape and Lupin blood together, I think it would fight enough to kill each other."

All she could do was roll her eyes at his utter nonsense. "Well, Mister Lupin, I do believe your father is ready to go."

And indeed he was- the rest of the group had caught up and were waiting impatiently for the two bookworms to hurry up. Sirius was carrying a package that looked suspiciously like a broom. Once again the group piled into the taxies and headed back to Grimmauld Place. At that point, Silas wanted nothing more than to go curl up by the fire with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.

Unfortunately Remus and Sirius found him within minutes. "Hey mate! Seeing as how I stole your broom, we thought it'd be nice to set you up with a new one, even if you're not playing Quidditch. It's not a Firebolt though, sorry about that," he hung his head as he thrust the afore mentioned package into Silas's hand. As he said, it wasn't a Firebolt, but a Nimbus 2010 was nothing to be ashamed of.

"Thanks guys, this means a lot to me, especially since flying helps clear my mind," he told them quietly, knowing that he was desperately going to miss playing Quidditch.

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do at a time like this," Sirius looked solemn.

"What's that?" Silas dared to ask, looking nervous.

"Pile on the wolf cub!" The next thing Silas knew, he was being ploughed over by dog and wolf and was positively blushing.

"You, Sirius, are utterly insane, and sorry to say, but so are you, dad."

Remus was positively beaming.

* * *

((Now! Until next time, R&R and make me happy! )) 


	6. The Attack

_((A/N: Okay, sorry about taking so long to get this out, but hey! Within the time that I posted the last chapter, I: Packed up all my belongings, Moved into my dorm at college, had a hellish first weekend, had five days of class in which my major was switched from Studio Art to English so, well, you guys gotta cut me some slack here. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good head start on the next chapter this weekend, but well, we'll see. . It should go faster than this chapter since I know where the next one is heading._

_So on to the reviewers!_

**_Miss Blizzard_**_: While I know the books are pointing at a Ron/Hermione relationship, I really do believe that Harry and Hermione are more compatible. She is extremely studious, unlike Ron, but Harry is willing to put forth at least some effort. People say opposites attract, but well, you do need to have something in common and from what I've seen, those two generally don't. So, nope! It's going to stay a Harry/Hermione relationship in this story._

**_TomTom21_**_ Hehe, read above! I'm one of those people who think Harry and Hermione just are better together. As for Ron being mean, these are my reasons. The first being is that I mentioned the brains in the Ministry effected him more than was previously thought, so his prejudices are more prevalent than before. So when Remus/Sirius/Harry revealed that he was a werewolf, that feeling came up within Ron and he immediately let his prejudices take over even though he'd been friends with Harry for five years. This has been seen in the books before, especially in the Goblet of Fire where I do believe that Ron really isn't a good friend considering his actions in the past. That being said, I don't enjoy writing his character because he tends to jump to conclusions and without the help of a friend or teacher, he isn't able to see through them. _

**_Hermione Malfoy Potter_**_ D'oH!!!! HMP: 1, SS: 0. Okay, heh, yes, I do realize that I made a major mistake in that. I just happen to be one of those people who tends to use silver for every type of jewelry since I'm not fond of gold. Note to self: Werewolves and jewelry don't mix. But umm, if I'm thinking correctly, the silver wouldn't affect him if he's human, just if he's in his werewolf form. I've got to redo some of my research to remember that part of the lore. The Ron thing: See the two previous review responses. :D_

**_ChristinaLupin01442_**_ I couldn't resist putting in that last part with Silas calling Remus 'Dad.' It needed to be done sooner or later and considering the fact that it is Remus and not Snape, it really would be easier to accept that if it was the slime ball who'd made your life a living hell for five years, heh. As for doing a story on the Werewolf Challenge, I will say one thing: Copy any thing from my story that wasn't in Tia Evan's and I will get incredibly snarky. I believe the one by Lunawolf, "Werewolf Instincts" already got this message. The beginning of her story sounded incredibly similar to mine so yes, I was just a little pissed as I've put a lot of hard work into this story to make it sound plausible, especially the way I brought Sirius back. If nothing else, just don't steal that, please...But just remember, Remus doesn't have to be Harry's father. It could be Snape, so heh. Yea. Good luck and I'll be waiting. _

_**Dragonbluepheonix:** Ahh, thanks for the compliment on the transformation. That was a hellishly hard scene to write considering we don't know much about the werewolves from JK Rowlings books. Nor do we know much about the effects of the Wolfsbane potion and just how much of the mind the werewolf does retain. Most of my information on werewolves does come from lore that I researched earlier this year for a class and seemed to fit in quite nicely. And umm, yes, definitely Silas and Hermione and if you want more information about that one, go check the top to reviewer replies since that is more thoroughly explained there. _

**_heala_**_ Heh, thank you! And thanks for the review so here's the update. _

**_Katlyn_**_ Insane Padfoot/Sirius is so much fun to write. I swear he is like my favorite character in the books besides Lupin and when I read the 5th book, I was basically about ready to go find Rowlings and make her bring him back! And umm, nice words! Haha, I should feel proud that my story is inspiring new uses of the English language. Rock on!_

**_DARKMARK33LV_**_ In a story that involves quite a bit of angst, you've got to have the humor scenes. I was randomly writing in my notebook at that point and that scene just ended up there out of the blue, but I liked it so much that it got incorporated into the story. Besides, they are 16- both of them are going to be curious sooner or later. As for the Title Question: NO! That is definitely not bad- I was writing my first fanfic, although it's under a separate penname, and after I posted it, I realized that there were at least five or six other stories with the same name, and even some with the same basic plot line. Needless to say when I saw that, I put the fic on hold, but if it's the same title but with a separate plot, then I see no reason as to why it would be a problem. _

**_w0lf1e_**_ Thanks! It's nice to see that people responded positively to the werewolf scene since even though I thought it was well done, others may not have. If you'd like to read more about that, the response to DragonBluePheonix explains more of this and the werewolf lore. _

**_Tia Evans_**_ Agh! It's the werewolf that created this challenge come back to haunt me! Hehe, sorry, had to get that out. Couldn't resist. Oh yes, definitely going to be Harry/Hermione. And as I've written to about half a dozen other people here, more information on why I chose the pairing is up in the first two responses along with why I chose not to include Ron as a prominent friend figure in this story. Now, as for your story- Can I, like, BASH Snape over the head for being such an arsehole all the time?! Oh wait, after you read this chapter, I'll be a total hypocrite. Umm, never mind!! _

_**Analia:** Aww! Thanks! I've spent a lot of time trying to incorporate emotions into the piece and it's always nice to see someone respond to that. Especially the part with Silas becoming more bookish- Both of his parents were exceptionally smart so it wouldn't be a big surprise for him to be as well. Just with the effects of the potion, those genes were always hidden so he took on more of a James attitude when it came to his education. His attitude basically stayed the same as he was raised away from James so was never really exposed to the behavior to pick it up other than from Dudley so his naturally quiet and reserve nature was able to express itself. Now! As for Ron- SEE REPLIES TO THE FIRST TWO PEOPLE! Heh, sorry, that's been driving me nuts. But quite frankly, I'm not certain that Ron would be able to get over this. Hermione/Silas- See replies to the first person. More of why the Wolfsbane potion didn't work is involved within this chapter, but most of it won't be revealed until the following chapter._

_**anon2:** Why thank you! Hearing people say I have some talent makes my decision to go into the English department at my University feel better. While I don't have much experience with relationships myself, for some reason I tend to make friends and not boyfriends, but nevertheless, as I said about Harry/Hermione. They are definitely more compatible than Hermione/Ron. Why Rowlings has the books leaning that way, I'm not sure and it does irritate me. Ahh!!! Cool! You were first to ask me about what's going to happen with Ron after he found out, well, guess what?!? That is the entire focus of this chapter! So go you on picking up my subtle hints in the previous chapter. You get a cookie. :D Now as for Mister Malfoy...Muhaha. Just wait, although it still might be a few more chapters before I have them return to Hogwarts and you'll see why in this chapter. Hmm, an article, now that is intriguing as I didn't think of that but it could be useful. So, if it gets used, I need to know who to credit for the idea!_

**_Avestia_**_ Heh, thanks! Although I fear that you're going to hate me after this chapter. _

_**Steveperrysgirl: **I swear I've been repeating myself all night during answering these replies. Yes, this story is definitely going to be Harry/Hermione and no one otherwise is going to get me to change my decision on that so you needn't be worried about that. Ron will continue being a prat as there is a logical explanation for this answered in the first reviewer. So, I'd recommend scanning through a few of these responses to see if they'll answer anything else for ya. _

**_Iana Moon_**_ Well I feel special to be getting a review by you! I love your story so when's the next update! Nudge nudge! So anyhow, here's the much needed update!_

**_Sparrow Greenleaf_**_Haha, writing sweet is rather hard considering who I'm working with here. So the 'doggy pile' was one of those things that took extra time to figure out. Ahh, enough with my ramblings. _

**_Tempest in Blue_**_ I have one thing to say to you: THANK YOU! Finally, someone giving me a review that actually critiques work. Sorry, but I am an English major so I welcome everyone's opinions, well, short of unnecessary flames that have no base to them, but yes. Unfortunately when I started this story I was going by the original guidelines that Tia Evans posted in the 17th chapter of "The Secret" and that was that Harry's identity needed to be kept secret from the wizarding world. There is no way around that necessary challenge requirement without having to lie. The reason I had Sirius placed in there was the fact that if Harry Potter disappeared without a trace and Silas Lupin showed up, that would cause unwanted distress in the wizarding world and believe me, I really didn't want to deal with writing that and neither would Harry. Even though he is living a lie, it is basically a chance for him to start over and escape all the fame that went along with being The-Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Bloody-Die. Heh, sorry, I saw that somewhere and have called him that ever since. Aaanyhow, even with the new lies, he doesn't have the lie about his father and that would most likely be the main focus of students considering he looks quite a bit like the man and he will be there at the school along with him. I should go back and rework some of these chapters and show that he definitely is upset, but he really did know that he had little choice in the matter if he didn't want to be, well, basically put, publicly denounced. _

_Ahh, as for the letter that Lily sent Remus- I must have mistyped that originally as it was given to him by Sirius who'd brought them back with him. So, no, he didn't know before Harry did. The letters though, were only to be given to the Ministry once they found out who the father was since well, Lily didn't know. Okay, sorry, that was my turn for rambling. So anyhow, thank you for that insightful review since I especially appreciate receiving those since I do enjoy being able to up the standard of my work and that is often hard considering that I do not have a beta. Someday I'll have to point that out for people. _

_OKAY! That was a lot of reviews and you know, it was really fun to answer all the questions! I love doing that and not to mention, debating and issue someone has and some of you did have some excellent arguments. And I will give a special thanks to Tempest In Blue for the suburb review...Oh yes, as for some basic mistakes in my story: **No, I do not have a beta**, I never have as I haven't met anyone willing to take on the task. If you'd like to do it, you can find my user info and give me a heads up. So! On to the story finally!!!!))_

* * *

The next few weeks passed with relative ease; homework was finished, books read, and long conversations with both his father and Sirius. Ron still treated him as badly as if he were the spawn of Voldemort and it really hurt. On the other hand, after the bathroom incident, he and Hermione had started to become closer.

* * *

_ "Hey, you mind if I come in?" Hermione asked from the doorway of the library. It seemed as if she'd finally been able to calm the frizzy hair down as it looked as nice as when she'd gone to the Yuletide Ball. _

_"Sure, I don't mind," he smiled, motioning for her to take a seat next to him. _

_ "Hey, umm, listen, I'm sorry about the other day. I shouldn't have come into the bathroom like that." It was highly amusing to see her acting so flustered._

_ "Hey, don't worry about it," he chuckled, feeling nervous since he was talking to the girl he was attracted to. Hermione's own face was flushed with red as Silas attempted to speak his mind. _

_ "I was just umm, well, wondering, if when we get back to Hogwarts, and err, one comes up," Silas faltered, frustrated with trying to get across his message. The girl snickered and helped him along._

_"Would you like to go to Hogsmead together when they announce a trip?"_

_ He nodded and tentatively grabbed her hand. "Yeah, that's it," he muttered sheepishly. "You know, I think Viktor was a fool for giving you up."_

_Hermione blushed furiously.  
_

* * *

Since that day, the pair could be seen together as often as Remus, Sirius and Silas were found. After Ron had seen the two walking in to dinner holding hands, he'd taken to hiding in his room and throwing random items at the walls. Molly continually had to apologize for her son's behavior around both Silas and Remus. It was no mystery that he despised non-humans, but seeing one with the girl he wanted was too much for him.

And that was when things began to crash and burned.

* * *

"What do you think you are doing with Hermione, werewolf?" Ron spat, shoving a hand into Silas's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to keep his voice neutral, even if he wanted nothing more than to punch him hard in the nose.

"You probably want to infect her or something, you werewolf trash," the red haired boy sneered scathingly.

"I would do nothing of the sort; I'm very fond of Hermione and would never hurt her," losing a bit of the control over his emotions.

Ron had enough- a split second later a fist collided with Silas's jaw and sent him to the ground. The young werewolf looked half stunned, half angered as the eyes of his ex-friend connected with his own. A sharp pain erupted in his stomach and with that, all his surprised dissipated and left him completely enraged.

Slowly he staggered to his feet, eyes dancing back and forth dangerously, as he looked at his opponent. Unbeknownst to him, parts of his body were shifting, the wolf taking over. He grinned feral-ish at the person nearby, tail wagging slowly. It surprised him for a split second as he let out a wolf like howl and advanced on the shaking boy. He raised a paw-like hand with all intentions to strike his enemy down, but he was caught.

Silas whipped around and buried his slightly elongated muzzle into the flesh of another attacker. A moment later he snapped out of the trance he'd been in and was horrified to see bloody marks on Snape's arm.

It was too much- he curled up in a ball, traces of the wolf had vanished, and whimpered softly. He attacked someone and it wasn't even the full moon. Two separate footsteps fled the area and he was left alone.

A gentle hand was placed on his back and tried to calm down the distraught boy. Tears trickled down his face as Remus brought his face around. Silas felt disgusted as the foul tasting blood still sat around his mouth.

"I didn't mean it, really! Ron just got me so mad and the next thing I knew, I was staring at Snape after I bit him." Silas cried into his father's robes, feeling wretched from having attacked the man who'd only been attempting to stop him from destroying Ron.

"Shh...you're going to be alright, we'll figure this out. Come here, don't worry about Severus, I'll talk to him," Remus muttered soothingly, just trying to get the boy to breath normally again.

"But you said I could only change during the full moon," Silas sniffled, drawing his legs to his chest.

"We do not know much about naturally born werewolves since there haven't been any in ages."

"I'm not safe, Dumbledore's going to expel me, Snape's going to kill me, and Hermione is going to hate me," his breathing going erratic once more.

"Come on Silas, walk with me," he got the shaking boy to his feet and slowly made it into the other room with people scattered about, looking terrified.

"Someone get me a calming potion, now," he called hoarsely and Sirius being the first to snap into action, coming back a moment later with the potion that he helped the rasping boy to consume. Almost instantly a glazed over look appeared on his face that had become paler that Snape.

"What happened to Silas?" Molly asked, utterly bewildered.

"Ron was harassing me, punched me, I turned wolfish, bit Snape, am going to be expelled and taken to Azkaban," Silas told them in an apathetic voice, eyes never leaving the wall.

"What do you mean, 'turned wolfish'?" asked Sirius cautiously.

"Started becoming a wolf despite the fact that it's not the full moon...I'm not safe, I can't go to school, I'll attack someone, oh shit..." he trailed off, thinking of Snape.

"'Oh shit' indeed," Snape spat as he strode into the room, arm covered in bandages. "I do hope you teach your sprog some control, Lupin. Although, I don't think a werewolf's bite will affect Dementors very much. Perhaps it'll be a short stay, especially with all those 'pleasant' memories, or if it was up to me, you'd be spending the rest of your time wasting away with your memory full intact as going insane would be too good for you," he snarled, grabbing Silas by the shirt and pinning him up against the wall. "Meeting the end of McNair's axe is too good for you as- too quick and not painful enough, werewolf-.."

"SEVERUS! THAT IS ENOUGH!" roared Dumbledore, who'd just come strolling in the door. If there was anyone who could make Severus back down, it was an irate Headmaster. Sneering, the Potions Master lowered the young man to his feet, who promptly collapsed to the ground here Remus and Sirius ran over to see how he was doing. Needless to say, being pinned to the wall hadn't done Silas's mental state any good.

"I know what has happened, Severus, but that is no reason to physically harm a student," Dumbledore said in a low, but deadly tone of voice.

"He deserves to be locked up in Azkaban for attacking me, and ultimately, destroying my life," Snape bellowed.

"No, no, please, no, anything else, please no," he mumbled, covering his ears as if he were listening to the Dementors right then and there.

"Azkaban would destroy him in a matter of days; Dementors affect him worse than everyone in this room. Why do you think I had to teach him the Patronus Charm? Although I doubt you'd care unless it was one of your precious Slytherins," Remus snarled, tightening his hold on Silas.

"Why would I care about someone who infected me?" Snape said in that cold voice of his.

"I didn't mean it! I couldn't help it; not like I know what happened either!" Silas pleaded, clutching his knees to his chest. He didn't care at that moment that he was crying in front of his most hated professor.

At that point, Remus had enough- he scooped up his sobbing son and walked out of the room and back to where his son was staying. He placed Silas on the soft bed and rubbed his shoulders.

"Shh, Dumbledore isn't going to let them throw you in Azkaban and he definitely isn't going to expel you. I'm not sure how he's going to work this out, but you'll be okay," he murmured soothingly.

"I deserve to be there, I almost attacked Ron, and I bit Snape!" he sniffled, tears streaming down his face from puffy, bloodshot eyes.

"No, no you don't. We didn't think anything like this could happen..." Remus trailed off, not really knowing what else to say and pulled the boy into a tight hug. He blinked, "Silas, umm, you're not getting angry again, are you?"

Silas wiped his eyes with a sleeve and looked confused. "Huh?" He asked dumbly.

"You said you started to transform when you were angry, and umm, you have a tail poking out from your robes," Remus mentioned, concern in his voice.

Silas blushed and felt the lump on the bed, "I, umm, forgot to mention that it wouldn't go away from before like everything else. Just didn't think to tell anyone with the mess downstairs."

"Okay, so there aren't anymore changes, especially around your mouth?"

"No, just the tail...Dumbledore wouldn't force me into a wolf permanently and then cage me, would he?" Silas asked, eyes wide with fear.

Remus just shook his head and handed the boy a dreamless sleep potion as it was doubtless that he'd need it. With what had happened today combined with the dreams from Voldemort every so often, it wasn't a rarity for the household to have vials of the potion handy for him.

* * *

"Albus, what are we going to do about Silas? I mean, he doesn't seem dangerous, but you never can be sure. Parts of him are still wolfish even when he's not angry. Somehow we're going to have to test him to see when he's infectious or not," Remus looked over at Albus in despair. He'd just found his son, and already things couldn't get worse. Even if he had told Silas that he wouldn't be caged, there was the fear that something similar would be done.

"Calm yourself Remus; I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out, and as for Severus, well, unfortunately you know how difficult he can be," Albus sighed, the blue twinkle in his eye was long lost.

"So is he infected?"

"As far as we can tell, yes. We weren't able to take him to a specialist at St. Mungo's since we can't put Harry in anymore danger than he already is, but Poppy believes him to be. As for Harry, yes, he will need to see just how much it takes for him to become infectious."

"Just how much do we know about wolf-borns?"

"Not enough, I'm afraid. But from what you are telling me, their may be some serious complications with a wolf-born biting someone. If Harry has retained the tail, unfortunately if he attacks again, he may retain even more of the wolf, which could make testing him extremely risky. However, I do wish to remove him from Grimmauld, especially seeing as young Mister Weasley remains here, and Severus showing up randomly. While Harry would wish for Sirius to come with you, it would cause suspicion so it'll be the two of you going back to your cottage."

"Alright Albus, we shall leave in the morning once he wakes up. What about Severus though? And the Wolfsbane potion? We're going to need it," Remus mentioned as he turned for the door.

Albus sighed and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If Severus wasn't being so unreasonable I'd recommend that he too would go since he should be secluded for the first transformation. Right now I'm going to lock him in the dungeons so that he won't be around anyone. Now as for the Wolfsbane potion..."

"I get the point, Albus, so fine; I shall go with the two mutts so they can have their blasted potion. This way you won't have to teal with me either for the next week," Severus growled as he billowed into the room.

Eyes narrowed as Remus spotted the man coming into the room, "The only reason I'll agree is because we need the potion, but, if you are aggressive against Silas you will be leaving before the moon can wane."

"It's not like he can do anything else to ruin my life," the potion master sneered.

"It's a good thing there are two rooms and a couch or else you wouldn't be welcome. Stay away from Silas and I believe we'll have no problems. And if you didn't know, he's distraught about what happened and feels that he should be caged," Remus stated, feeling defeated.

"Remus, just how is Harry's mental state?" the Headmaster wanted to know.

"He's not going to be able to be left alone; I fear he might try to kill himself, especially after the next full moon."

"I still say it would serve him right," Severus snapped.

"Severus, if you continue acting as such, I may have to remove you from the staff for unjust prejudices which could result in a student's death," Albus said grimly, meaning every word.

The man put his nose in the air and stomped out of the room.

"So you really do feel that Harry may try to take his life?" Albus asked, really feeling his age.

"Unfortunately, yes, he's not taking this well at all. We had to give him calming potions and a dreamless sleep potion since he was panicking so much. He's in the mindset that he's dangerous and would be better off in Azkaban."

The elder man frowned, "I don't want to send yet another person along, but if Harry is as bad as you say he is, we may have to do something. I know even though both of you would prefer to have Sirius; I don't wish to raise suspicion. The only two who would be available to go are Nymphadora and Minerva, so, who would you prefer?"

"While I'm sure Silas would prefer Tonks, I don't think she is serious enough for the situation, not to mention I think Severus and her would kill each other. Minerva would be more sensible and she is already aware of who Silas actually is."

"Very well Remus, I shall go Floo her now so she can meet you there, and take little Padfoot along as well. He may be able to help Harry as well."

The werewolf nodded curtly and left the room to go back to his son who was sleeping fitfully. He wished the boy truly was James's- he wouldn't be going through all this pain then. He pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down to run his fingers through the boy's chestnut hair lovingly. Within minutes he also had fallen asleep.

* * *

The next morning Silas woke up to see his father asleep on the chair next to the bed and was touched that the man cared about him so much already. A yawn escaped his lips and saw Moony start to stir.

"Mmm, good, you're awake. Go find breakfast and then we'll be off," Remus mumbled, still half asleep.

"Go? Go where?" Silas frowned, pulling a shirt over his head.

"Dumbledore believes we'll be safer back at the cottage, so we're leaving first thing this morning."

"Oh," was all he would say. Sighing he pulled on a pair of boxers and realized he needed some help. "Umm, dad, could you put a hole in this for me?" He blushed, feeling his face go hot. Remus chuckled and waved his wand so that a small hole appeared in both the boxers and trousers. Silas quickly pulled his fuzzy grey tail through the hole and then put his robes on to hide it.

"Good morning Silas," Mrs. Weasley muttered, not meeting his eyes and voice sounding cooler. She didn't pester him to eat more than he had and felt hurt by being ignored like that. Even Hermione seemed to be wary of talking to him. He couldn't blame them- he attacked Snape; he deserved to be in Azkaban already. Even Mrs. Weasley's cooking couldn't bring back his appetite and he excused himself from the table and walked away, tail unconsciously tucked between his legs.

"Can we go? Now? I'm not welcome here anymore," Silas said softly as he entered his father's quarters. The older man looked up from packing to see his son's face with a few tears running down his cheeks.

"What happened?" His concern was evident as he gently wiped the tears from the boy's face.

"It was pretty much made clear that I'm not wanted here and Hermione is afraid of me," he sniffled, turning around to see Sirius walking in the room and was pulled into a hug by both the older men.

"Hey, pup, just remember that not everyone hates you and there will always be someone around who loves you. And no matter what you do, we'll always stick up for you," Sirius smiled, ruffling up his godson's long hair. Silas's tail started to betray him by wagging under the robes and Sirius caught sight of it. "Is that a tail sticking out under there?" He grinned, "I remember the one time when James and I were working on our Animagus forms and he was stuck with the tail, hooves and fur for a week before he'd let poppy fix him up. Luckily she bought the excuse that we were pranked by the Slytherins."

"Oh? And what about yourself? I mean, it was hysterical hearing you bark whenever you tried to talk. Minerva was so frustrated by the end of class; I swear she looked about ready to hex to next person who talked to her."

"Yeah, well, be quiet Mister I'm-too-much-of-a-bloody-bookworm to get into trouble."

Silas couldn't help laughing at the men's antics; the two of them were acting as if their mental states had reverted by about 25 years. If he wasn't in such a dire situation, he would've felt as if he could've taken on Voldemort right then and there.

"Alright pup, let's get you home then," Remus smiled as he closed the top to his trunk.

"Home?" Silas blinked, thinking he heard wrong.

"Yes, home, you didn't think I spent all my time here or at Hogwarts, now did you? And I did say something about a cottage earlier."

"Oh, well..." he blushed.

With a wave of the wand, all of the trunks were shrunk into pocket size and the two went down to the main floor where Severus was standing in the aisle with a firmly placed sneer on his face. His clothing suggested that he was coming with the two as well.

"Really, Lupin, you'd think you'd be ready when you said you would," the man spat, arms cross and tapping his toe impatiently.

Silas's eyes went wide in terror and moved behind hid father as he saw Snape.

"Unfortunately he is coming with us, even if I fought against it. But you each will be given a separate living space so that you won't have to see each other often. I daresay he'll spend most of his time in the basement," he bent down, "And if he starts harassing you, I have permission to make him leave the house," a wink told Silas that he more than believed that would happen.

Even so, Silas had no desire to be within a hundred miles of the man. More than likely Snape would corner him and put some sort of silencing charm around so no one could hear and that scared him. Snape in potions was bad enough, but to see him outside of class when angry was a force to be reckoned with. A shiver ran through his spin from the foreboding week.

"Silas, come on, time to go," Remus smiled and led him out the door and over to a dark alley way. From there, the trio apperated to an unfamiliar area that was surrounded by lush forests that was still damp with the morning dew. The amount of smells were overwhelming to his extra-sensitive nose and sent him into a sneezing frenzy. Of course Severus just glared, thinking the boy was doing nothing more than trying to get more attention.

"Well, it's definitely not as grand as Grimmauld is, but it's well secluded from outsiders and it is comfortable. Come on then, let's not dawdle all day and let the bugs get their fill."

Silas trudged behind, not wanted to hear the discussion going on between his father and potions master as it was likely to be about him. Snape's presence was likely due to their need of the Wolfsbane potion and Severus first transformation that week. He knew it was his fault no matter what anyone said, and the fact that Snape was going to remain in the same house did little to improve his wellbeing.

The inside of the rickety cottage gave off a musty smell as if it hadn't been lived in for awhile, and in all reality, it probably hadn't. The chairs and woodworking had begun to splinter off, leaving them with a rustic look as the varnish seeped into the cracks. A few walls had old paint, probably at some point in time it had been calm beige instead of the darkening brown with patches of stains molting the sides. The other furniture had seen too many years and much of the fabric was in need of being reupholstered.

Silas's lips formed a small smile as he knew that he'd never be going back to the Durlsey's, especially in his werewolf state so he could now consider this home. He was shown to a small room with a modest sized bed in it where his stuff had already been transported. He noted that Remus's belongings had been placed in there as well and assumed that Snape had taken over the other room.

"Sorry, unfortunately Minerva is staying here as well so she'll be in the room that will be yours. As for Severus, I plan on transfiguring a rock into a bed down in the basement so he won't come up often," Moony chuckled, hoping that it'd be true.

"Why is Professor McGonagall coming?" He whispered, not wanting the two extra people in the house.

"Dumbledore believes it to be a good idea incase the house is attacked. Tonks would've been free as well, but Minerva is more experienced in these matters so she was the one to come. If I'm not mistaken, she should be here soon."

"Yes, yes, I just hope you can make a decent pot of coffee, Remus. Really, the Headmaster didn't need to wake me up so early to get me here, you seem to be fine on your own for the time being," a ruffled McGonagall muttered as she stepped into the house.

"Silas, why don't you take Padfoot and set up his items while I make the coffee? I daresay that he'll need to go outside soon," smiled Remus, shoving the boy off.

Once he had left, Remus turned to Minerva. "You know why you're here, right?"

"Of course, the Headmaster wouldn't send me off without informing me of the situation. I just wish it wasn't so dire."

"I have him currently situated in my room so that I can keep an eye on him during the nights, but there might be a time when I can't be around and Severus may try to take advantage of that. Not to mention I don't Silas to be alone when there are sharp objects around."

She nodded curtly, "Now, about that coffee..."

* * *

That night consisted of a simple dinner which Silas assumed had been cooked by none other than his father since it didn't seem likely that either McGonagall or Snape would've done such a menial task. The entire time Snape glared at Silas, his eyes filled with utter hatred that he doubted would ever dissolve now. The boy wanted nothing more than to curl up under his bed and not come out.

"Severus, please direct your hatred away from my son, it does nothing to become you. If you persist, I have no qualms about serving you dinner in the basement," Remus scowled, thoroughly sick of the man's childish behavior.

Severus scowled loudly and stalked out of the room and down to the basement where Silas hoped he'd stay for the next week, only coming out with the Wolfsbane potion. The smell of firewhiskey could be smelled as it reeked from the door and one could easily guess what was going on down there. It was rather amusing when a drunken Potions Master appeared a few hours later, looking even more surely than he had before.

"Come on, Silas, it's time to put that book down and go to bed," Remus smirked, knowing that the boy wanted nothing more than to exhaust himself enough to sleep. All he received in returned was a glare and a shift to turn himself away. "Unfortunately I need you to get some rest as tomorrow will entail quite a bit of activity."

"I'm quite fine, thank you."

"Silas, don't make me lock your books for the next week."

"Fine, I'll go to bed..." the boy grumbled, clearly unhappy about being told to put the book down.

The room now had two separate beds so that Silas could have at least that privacy, but the usual curtains had been taken down due to the fact that Remus still believed Silas to be suicidal. Remus smirked and threw over a pair of night shorts for the boy and quickly used the bathroom to change himself. When he came back in, once again Silas was scowling at him.

"Now what?"

"Did you forget that I can't use magic during the holidays so I can't put a hole in these?" Silas scowled, showing that he'd spent too much time around the insufferable potions master.

"I am definitely going to enjoy not having to do this anymore next week."

"Well, that is if I'm allowed back in Hogwarts," he said softly, hiding his head in the pillow and pulling the blankets over his body to cover the abnormality. His relatives were right- he was a freak.

The enhancements from the transformation let Remus sense that something was wrong with Silas at that point. He could smell the rejection and isolation that his son was feeling and it hurt him. Parenting was still relatively new to him and he wasn't sure if comforting or leaving him alone would be better- he went with his gut instinct.

"Silas, what's wrong? I know something isn't right..."

The young werewolf rolled over in the bed and Moony was startled to see the face covered in tears that quickly. He sat up slowly and pulled his knees to his chest as he always did when in a defensive position. Fear was in those greenish eyes along with depression that Remus would not expect from someone so young.

"They were right, I am a freak..." his ragged breathing hindered him from talking properly and was choked up.

"Who's they...?" Remus was lost, not knowing who his son was talking about.

"They've always been right; just a freak who isn't wanted..."

That the werewolf was able to comprehend, "No, Silas, that isn't true and you know it. You are definitely wanted, believe me, I love you. And being a freak, you know you aren't one."

"Yes I am...I'm not human and I'm not even a real werewolf. What am I? A freak and who would want a freak for family?"

"You aren't a freak and I want you," Remus told him, running a hand through the soft hair and then pulled the sheet away from the body to glance at the tail, "And this doesn't mean you are any different from a human or werewolf. It just happens to make you, you."

"More like it'll be another scar that will draw unwanted attention from strangers. I want it gone," he muttered, yanking the blanket back over himself.

"Oh Silas," Remus frowned, hating that the young man had so much to deal with at such a young age. "I know you do, but I'm not sure how we can do that since we don't even know why you have it. But tomorrow we're going to try and see just what is going on which is why I need you to get some sleep."

A couple of moments later Silas had calmed down enough to fall asleep and Remus sat by his side, grasping the boy's hand and dreading the following day. Needless to say, it was going to be a living hell for everyone involved.

* * *

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((A/N: WOW!!! Okay, that was a lot of typing. I think I started transferring this from my notebooks on Wednesday afternoon and it took me until now to finish the chapter plus answering all the reviews! But hey! I'm not complaining- I love hearing from you all!))_


	7. The Tests

_((A/N: Well, I finally was able to get another chapter out...didn't have too much homework so I got the chance to type this...Really sorry about the wait though. But then again, I really haven't had too much incentive to write this story cause I'm getting very few reviews so I'm thinking not a lot of people like it anymore._

**_Pyr00tje_**_ Aww, well, sorry to burst your idea there, but umm, Snape as a werewolf is just such a cool idea. Besides, I've never seen it done before. :) And I need him as one cause of my really insane ideas as to where to take this story now._

**_Sphinxey_**_ The reason that there are so few is that the challenge was just started not too long ago. What you are generally thinking of is the Severitus challenge which is different than this one._

**_TomTom21_**_Unfortunately, I really see Ron as a bad friend which is why he's not going to be making up with them in this story. Harry really should've dumped him back after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. _

**_oracale_**_ Thanks ;)_

**_Joulez_**_Naw, I just write things in a notebook and then copy them after I feel the chapter is completed. Some just take longer than others. This one happens to be 6 pages less than the previous one. _

**_w0lf1e_**_Thanks! Here's the update._

**_maya100_**_ Well, Silas might be suffering again, but there's a reason for that. Not to mention it's just plain fun to torture Snape. And Ron definitely doesn't get away with things as it's at the end of this chapter. I do have a reason for what I did to Snape though...hehe._

**_Lady Excel Ilpalazo_**_Thanks! Hope you continue reading._

**_corinnetkn24_**_ Why thank you!_

**_DARKMARK33LV_**_ Long chapters...well, sometimes. I'd probably update more often if I could make myself post after about 1000 words or so but I can't :P_

**_TekNthzpn_**_ There ya go ;)_

_**Dragonbluepheonix:** Yay! Thank Merlin, it's a real review. I just thought it was funny to have Silas walk out into the room with the tail poking out and everyone sniggering. Well, I hope you like the rather amusing way I've got Silas under control..._

**_HarryPFan001_**_ Hehe, thanks. I think most people hate Snape though :P_

_**Raptor:** Heh, thanks. Hope this is enough for now._

_Well, there's all the reviews. :)_

_So on to the story....))_

* * *

Silas woke the next morning with a sense of foreboding and the weather seemed to match. Rain poured down in buckets and the thunder was so loud that it hurt his ears. He groaned and rolled over and idly noted that his father had already gotten up for the day. If there was one thing he wanted to do, meeting up with the three adults was not one of them. Scowling, he dragged himself off the bed and over to the bathroom.

The reflection in the mirror startled him a bit as he hadn't looked in one for a couple of weeks. His hair was shaggy and unkempt, all snarled and in dire need of brushing, once sparkling green eyes were now a lifeless green-blue and dark circles underneath made it obvious that he hadn't been sleeping well lately.

"You'd think that one would have learned the basics of personal hygiene by the time they were sixteen. I mean, really? Haven't you ever heard of a comb before?" The mirror ragged on him, the scowl on his face only deepening.

"How about you shut up before I toss you out into the muggle world?"

The mirror stayed wisely silent.

His mood didn't improve much as he entered the kitchen where Remus, Minerva and Snape were sitting around the table along with strongly brewed coffee and sat down in a corner chair away from the group. Remus raised an eye, but said nothing.

Everyone present in the kitchen knew what the planned events included and none wished to actually partake in them. Snape especially wasn't looking forward to this as he'd be baiting the younger Lupin and could be facing the wrath of an enraged werewolf.

Although the others didn't wish to be doing the testing, Silas had no desire to be subjected to the most likely painful and horrific, and in his opinion, cruel tests. He had no idea what they were going to consist of, but if the occupants were this apprehensive, then it couldn't be good. If it weren't for the fact that he was dangerous, he would've fled the house last night. What was scaring him the most though, was what the results were going to be. He dreaded finding out that he was always infectious and then confined to a cell in Azkaban.

"Silas, son, come on, it's time," Remus said with a heavy heart. The boy looked as if he were a deer caught in a headlight with the frightened look on his face. His rapid breathing made the others aware of just how terrified he was, although he had good reasons.

He was led into the dank dungeons where a pseudo-lab had already been set up and the Wolfsbane was simmering in a nearby cauldron. It was an unnerving thought that only a month and a half ago only one needed it, and now there were three.

The three adults stood across from him and that was intimidating considering that Remus held out his hand for Silas's wand. Cautiously he held it out so he'd be the only one unarmed.

"Minerva, if you could place a barrier around yourself incase of an accident." She nodded and flicked her wand and a seemingly crystalline wall appeared that made her look further away than she was.

Snape rolled his eyes impatiently, "If you insist on doing this, werewolf, then

get on with it. Now that Minerva is protected, he can't very well do anymore damage.

Silas bristled with the insult directed towards both himself and his father, and with a sort of glee in his eyes, the Potion's master continued.

"Really, he's attempted to attack Weasley who most likely would have ended up in pretty bad shape had I not intervened. Although, he did attack me unprovoked- this clearly shows that he is dangerous."

This time the boy couldn't stop himself from retorting, "Ron attacked me twice before I started changing, and had I not, I have no doubt that I wouldn't have tried to attack."

"My, my, so touchy for one who's saying he's innocent. Why would one not attempt to defend himself against an attacker unless he knew he was already guility. Really, I would've expected a more intelligent offspring from two of the smartest graduates in our year. Are you certain he shouldn't have been in Hufflepuff with that cowardice?"

"SHUT UP!" Silas snarled, teeth bared and seething with anger, "If you're telling me I'm a coward then I should've been in Slytherin since they'll do anything to save their necks!"

"INSOLENCE! I will not tolerate this type of degradation towards your classmates!"

"At least Gryffindors don't have to be afraid to find themselves dead in the morning because they didn't take the Dark Mark!"

With that, Snape smacked the young Lupin's jaw with a sickening crack and was uncharacteristically breathing hard and looking crazed at that comment.

"Never speak of my house like that again," he barked, pushing the boy up against the wall.

Green eyes blinked in terror, but opened in amber and were intent on destroying the man who was threatening him. The fur creeping down his back stood on end and his growling subtly became more wolf-like. Nails gripped the wall as they grew out and could shred the skin with no force. Snape took no notice to this, but Remus did and couldn't stand by any longer.

"Minerva! Restrain Silas now!" He cried as he tackled the Potion Master to the ground. The boy found himself trapped in a body bind and looked horribly distressed that he couldn't control himself once again.

"Severus, you were supposed to let him go the moment you triggered the change, not continue provoking him. And clearly you did it by intentionally hitting him since no changes occurred until you did," Remus growled deeply, not letting the man up with the crazed look still in his eyes.

"That brat deserved it, and he was provoking me just as much. Besides, anyone could punch him and then there would be no one around to restrain him. Clearly he's dangerous."

"That is for the Headmaster to decide, no you, and I'm sure we can figure something out," Minerva sniffed, annoyed by the man's prejudices.

"Surely he wouldn't want to place the other students in danger, now would he?" Severus sneered.

"What about all those who have already taken the mark and are loyal to Voldemort? Aren't they all dangerous as well and yet they are allowed to continue their school as well?" Remus asked softly.

"That has no relevance."

"Severus, you know it does; many of them know how to use at least the Cruciatus and Imperius, though I don't doubt that a few know Avada Kedavra. Albus allows those students to remain in the school even if some are joining the ranks willingly. Why should Silas be expelled, but not them?"

"At least they can control themselves unlike the little beast! Sooner or later someone is going to find a way to really agitate him and then a student or professor is bound to get hurt. Do you really think he's going to want that weighing upon him as well?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't but he does need to go to school even if it means taking some risks. But if you're going to treat him as such, then I do believe he will not be attending your class. I daresay that he has enough to deal with, without having to listen to your prattle about him," Remus scowled, staring into Snape's dark eyes.

"If you two haven't forgotten, Silas is still here and listening to everything you are fighting about," the witch muttered and looked down at the boy who was finally back to normal before lifting the binding curse. His eyes were wide with a mixture of horror, sadness, and anger and he flew out of the room before anyone could catch him.

"Well, it seems I don't need to even scowl anymore to make him scared, an improvement I should think."

"Be quiet or I'll have Dumbledore personally remove you from here. I have no problems sending you back to the Dungeons to transform alone," the wolf snarled.

Instead of saying anything, Severus stormed off and Minerva looked as if she was murderous and followed, leaving Remus to find his son. A few minutes later he saw the boy on his bed, crying into the pillows and little Padfoot snuggling close. Instead of saying anything, he just drew Silas into his arms and held him until the tears finally started to cease.

"Can't you just kill me? It would make things a lot easier and then you and everyone else wouldn't have to worry about what happens at school."

"No!" Remus practically pleaded, gripping Silas even closer. He didn't want to have his son turn suicidal on him again. "Definitely not, I just found you and I don't want to lose you now! And that's just Snape being an asshole since it would be dangerous if you didn't return to Hogwarts. But hey, if you don't want to deal with Snivellus anymore, we can pull you out of his class."

Silas didn't answer, and instead just fell back on the bed. Remus was at a loss, but was sparked with sudden inspiration.

"Come on, I have an idea," he smirked, a sparkle in his eye made it evident that he hadn't lost his Marauder persona. Silas rolled over and listlessly followed him out the door and over towards the kitchen. Once there, Remus began shuffling around in the cupboards until he sat down at the table, two bottles in his hands.

"This is how to solve a problem Marauder style," he grinned and poured the bottle's contents into two shot glasses that he'd conjured and shoved it over to the boy. Silas sniffed it and grimaced, but drank it anyhow.

"Ugh! What was that?"

"That was dear ol' Ogden's Firewhisky and he served us well back after graduation."

"More," Silas muttered as he thrust the shot glass back. Remus grinned and topped it off with the other bottle and couldn't help but laugh when his son's eyes bugged out from the taste.

"What the bloody fuck was that?"

"Now that was pure and simple Vodka. The perfect thing if you'd like to get drunk quickly."

"I want the bottle, now." Silas's tone let the man know that he was not to be messed with and handed the bottle over. Remus knew that he was going to hurt like hell tomorrow, but at least he'd have a few hours that he couldn't remember. It only took about five more shots and the boy was thoroughly plastered. Chuckling, the older werewolf led the staggering boy out into the hallway, where unfortunately Snape was walking through.

"You are aware that a drunken werewolf is even worse than a sober one, aren't you?" He raised his eye and sneered at the stench of alcohol.

"Oooh...shhlove itz Schnape..." Silas slurred, waving his hands around and accidentally hitting the man.

The Potions Master sneered and once again shoved the boy into the wall, "I don't care if this does make you transform," he snarled and punched the boy across the jaw. Another blow went to his right eye before Remus could dislodge him. Amazingly enough, Silas had just stood there, human and looking quite shocked by being hit.

Remus couldn't help but groan, "Don't tell me that alcohol is the thing that can control him." That was ironic; he'd gotten the boy drunk to forget about the testing, only to have the answer come out of it.

Severus was livid though- that infuriating brat had insulted him again! He picked himself up off the floor, seeing how Lupin saw hit to known him over, and scowled. "I dare say that the Headmaster won't approve of the brat running around the school while he's intoxicated," the greasy haired man smirked, thinking that he'd finally be rid of the brat.

"Oh, I believe you're right in that respect, but it doesn't mean that it would take this amount to keep him from transforming. Perhaps it would only require a shot or two throughout the day and I doubt Albus would have a problem with that seeing as Silas is his precious 'Golden-Boy'," Remus spat the last part of that out, knowing that it would irritate the man.

Indeed it did and the overgrown bat stormed out of the hall and back to the basement. Minerva came out a moment later to see what all the fuss was about. "What in Merlin's name is going on out here?" She asked, utterly bewildered.

"It seems that we have found a way to possibly keep Silas in school without too many hassles."

"Why does it smell like alcohol?"

"Uhh...cause that's the solution?"

"Keeping him drunk?!"

"Well, I'm going to see if a shot or two will be enough to suffice..." Remus grinned guiltily.

"I should say so! We definitely don't need a drunken student running around," she sniffed, and turned away. Remus turned his attention to his son once again, but saw him slumped against the door, asleep. Smiling, he gently picked the boy up and carried him to their room. It was a good thing he was getting sleep now because he was going to have a helluva headache come tomorrow.

His estimation was correct and he was woken up to Silas leaning over the bed, groaning with a pile of pike on the floor. He couldn't forget his first time with drinking and hadn't been eager to repeat it. Though, it did make for a funny scene; the boy-who-lived that was now suffering from a massive hangover.

"Who let a bloody herd of hippogriffs inside the house and had them trample over my head?" Silas grumbled, pulling his long hair away from his mouth.

"And there would be a classic example of a hangover. Do you remember anything from last night?"

"Umm, firewhisky shots and a bottle of Vodka? Then I woke up to puking and quite frankly, werewolf hearing and hangovers are deadly," he snarled, closing his eyes and laying back on the pillows.

Remus chuckled to himself and went to go find the poor boy a hangover potion from his private stores. No doubt it would take quite a bit to dull that headache. Once he got back to the room, he helped tip the potion into the boy's mouth and saw a look of relief spread on his face. It would be a few more hours until he could test his theory of the shot-a-day remedy.

"Get some more sleep," Remus told him softly, running his fingers through his son's hair.

It wasn't until dinner that the boy reappeared, although, looking quite disheveled. Bags were under his eyes, hair snarled, and the tail forgotten to be hid, was matted from lack of brushing. Remus snickered, Snape sneered, and Minerva looked concerned about his appearance.

"I'm going to have to institute a mandatory shower after dinner so you'll at least be clean," the werewolf smirked, catching the annoyed look Silas was throwing him, "What? You reek of alcohol."

Once again Silas had a look that could rival Severus's worst. Indeed, he did shower that night, but he was extremely grouchy as well. They did test Lupin's theory and found that it was positive so they had t heir answer for school, but before they could go, there was one more full moon. And that day came too quickly.

Minerva had left for the night so the wolves could have the run of the house, but the inhabitants weren't having a good time. It was only the afternoon and already Silas and Severus were in a panicking mode. The boy had locked himself into the room with all his books and wouldn't come out, and Severus refused to leave the basement. Needless to say, Remus was not happy with their behavior because in a few hours he'd have to be by his son and make sure Severus didn't somehow kill himself during his first transformation.

About half an hour before the sun went down, Silas finally undid the lock on his door and went into the living room where his father was. If Remus thought he looked bad the other day, it was nothing compared to now. Silas's face was drawn in, looking extremely gaunt, the bags under his eyes were worse, hair to the point where it would need to be cut off to a shorter length for it to be respectable, tail drooping, and shoulders slumped miserably.

The man gruffly pulled him into a tight hug, muttering that it should be better this time. It didn't help; Silas was just as anxious as last time. Little Padfoot wandered into the room and settled happily on his master's lap, and was quickly used for support. Remus could only pray that this transformation would go better or he very well could lose his son forever.

Silas gratefully took the goblet of Wolfsbane along with a shot glass of firewhisky and drained them both- he had the feeling he was going to want more of that whisky in the morning once he woke up. His ears picked up the sound of faint footsteps coming from the basement and turned to see Snape standing there, reeking of alcohol and eyes glazed over.

"I hope you're happy, you little brat," he snarled, half swaying from the level of intoxication he was under.

"Oh Merlin, did you have to get plastered before even the first transformation?" Remus rolled his eyes in disbelief, "I would've thought you'd last until the second or third to do that."

"Do shut up, Lupin, since I have no desire to be in the same house as you and the monster that thought it would be funny to attack me," Snape muttered, his black eyes looking as if he was about to kill anyone who took a step near him.

Remus glanced at the man and was thoroughly sick of his behavior and proceeded to rip the clothing off of his body. Silas couldn't help but let a weak smile appear on his lips after seeing the look upon his Potion Master face. Where normally there was a look of death, was now an utterly stunned expression from the lack of clothing.

The elder werewolf removed his own clothing and then went to his son and gentle helped him out of the ragged threads. "Sorry, bud, but you don't need to lose anymore clothing this way so if you want, you're welcome to wrap up in a blanket," he smiled weakly at his son, tossing him a dusty blanket for good measures.

"Thanks, dad," he murmured and plopped down into a chair with his puppy.

Severus, on the other hand, wasn't thrilled; he scowled and ripped a sheet from the couch and made a make-shift toga. Since it was so thin, it didn't leave anything to the imagination and Remus got a very nice view of Severus which normally was hidden under layers of robes. Quite frankly, he wasn't horribly bad looking either, now that the werewolf thought about it.

Within moments, the sun set completely and the moon shone down through the windows and hit the three by surprise. Silas writhed on the ground in agony, his body twisting into the foreign shape and he howled in pain. He caught glimpses of his father trying to withstand the pain, and Snape shrieking uncharacteristically while his form contorted to that of an inky black and greasy furred wolf.

The said black wolf advanced on Silas, and he cringed and waited for the attack. All he saw was a large black paw coming towards his vision and a sudden burst of pain, and then everything went black.

A-A-A-A-A

Remus was infuriated- the man had attacked his son unprovoked! He growled and circled the other, snarling and snapping his jaws at the other wolf, all in all, ready to shred the fur from his body, but was suddenly inspired to hurt the man another way. With a deathly look in his eyes, he advanced on his childhood nemesis and did the one thing he knew could hurt him- he took the man's remaining 'innocence.'

A-A-A-A-A

The youngest woke the next morning, his face feeling like it was on fire, and felt that there was dried blood caked onto his jaw. Suddenly he remembered being hit by Snape and why he was hurting. On the other hand, it had been enough to knock him out for the entire night so that he hadn't been pained with the desire to attack everyone. He made a mental note to have Remus continue to do that before hefting himself up and looking around. Snape lay there in complete dishevelment and Silas could only presume that his father had been enraged from the man's actions. Speaking of which, he couldn't find the man anywhere in the room.

"If you're looking for me, I've been up for awhile trying to make breakfast incase you were hungry," Remus muttered, peering into the room a moment later and seeing the bewildered look on his son's face. "As for Snape, you can leave the asshole there."

"Don't be too rough on him- when he hit me, I was knocked out so I couldn't feel anything last night. It really would be a good idea to continue doing that so I won't hurt myself with all the biting."

"If you're sure," Remus told him, although uncertainly. He was now regretting his hasty decision on how he punished the man.

"I'll be fine, just as soon as this heals," he pointed to his cheek and grimaced at the dry blood flaking off. His father grinned sheepishly at not automatically healing it and waved his wand so that the cheek was instantly clean.

"Thanks...breakfast would be good though, as long as we can leave him there," Silas pointed, not entirely wanting to eat with him.

"Yea, that's not a problem. Hey, are you going to be ready for term starting tomorrow?"

Silas shivered and looked up at the man and shook his head, "No, but we can't change that now. I just hope no one finds out..."

A-A-A-A-A-A-A

"Terribly sorry about this Mister Weasley, but I cannot have you running around the school with the knowledge that you possess about Mister Potter. _Obliviate_!" Albus cast softly, truly sorry that he had to erase the memories of the student and what he knew about Silas and his father.

"What am I doing here?" Ron snapped, looking around and finding himself in the headmaster's office.

"You came to request to transfer Houses if I'm not mistaken, Mister Weasley, so we shall be on with it!" He said cheerfully and plucked the hat from its stand and placed it upon the boy's head.

**_Ahh, Mister Weasley, I was wondering if I'd see you again someday. Perhaps had you not been so naïve back then we wouldn't be having this conversation. Yes, your cunningness and self preservation has grown. I believe you'll be better suited for SLYTHERIN!!!_**

Ron looked dumbstruck from having just been placed into his arch-nemesis house and stared at the headmaster.

"Ah, so my intuition was correct after all! Well, Mister Weasley, since no one will be here until tomorrow, I strongly advise you to go find your dormitory as I do believe you know where it is already. All of your belongings have already been taken there, so now I shall bid you good day!"

With that, Ron just stood up and walked out of there blankly, leaving a content Headmaster to himself. "Ahh, my dear Harry, perhaps now you shall have at least a bit of peace for the moment..."


	8. The Return

_**((A/N: Okay, I am so sorry about taking so long to get this chapter out. I didn't take people seriously when they said I'd be getting bogged down with papers and homework when I got to college. As of the moment, I still have 6 papers due within the next three weeks so don't expect anything too soon. :( Unfortunately, I have also been sick since it's the classic time of year to be getting colds/flu around the area with the rapid weather changes. **_

_**Lightningbook**: Aww, thanks Scully. Guess what? Now you get to read this right after you get back from your vacation. _

**_TekNthzpn_**_: Like Ron? I despise the little rat. He proved himself a bad friend back in GoF. Heh, I like Remus acting fatherly too...rather fun to write._

**_Mirai Diavolo_**_ To answer your question, when someone becomes depressed, their mannerisms do change. This I can answer from personal experience. When I was a kid, I'd state my mind at any time, pretty much didn't care what people thought. Then once I became depressed, I was very quiet, wouldn't say anything and let people walk all over me. Harry is depressed over the thought of what happened and is taking it hard. He'll be back to his happy self sooner or later. Most people usually get there if they have help, and he'll have plenty of it. ;) _

**_maya100_**_ Hehe, I was having fun trying to figure out what to do with the little prick and that suddenly came to mind. And he acts rather like a bastard in this chapter. _

**_DARKMARK33LV_**_ Heheh, no I ain't going to tell you what Remus did to Snape if you didn't understand it. As to Silas/Snape, I'm hoping to at least get them to come to a truce, especially with how I have this planned out. Remus/Severus, well, that's up to you guys._

**_Angel Horse_**_ Thanks! _

**_lovenhope_**_ Heh, thanks. Yea, it's kinda sad, but at least it's not a full blown angst story. ;)_

**_w0lf1e_**_: Hehe, thanks, unfortunately I won't be able to update that often anymore. :(_

**_BlindJedi_**_ Thanks, glad to have someone like the story still. I don't see how anyone could see Hermione and Ron being together. His temperament seems to violate for her. Harry, even as he in canon, seems to be more laid back and more fitted towards her. Now, Ron-bashing, I will have to put some of that in my story since he's a little prat._

_**Anon:** Thanks _

_**Dragonbluepheonix**: Hey! Silas isn't going to be intoxicated all year! Hehe, most people don't get drunk off of one shot, but I couldn't resist using alcohol as the thing that could sedate him. Yea, I love the tail too, but some people think it's stupid. :P But I don't listen to them._

**_HecateDeMort_**_: Thanks :)_

_**Khajiit:** Quite frankly, my schoolwork takes priority over this story. People who like the story most likely will wait if they're into it enough and will understand._

**_Talons_**_ Harry would be good in Ravenclaw, but well, heh, no. As for the tail, it's there for a reason as you'll find out later in the story. ))  
_

* * *

Silas was already not happy that morning; it was time to go back to school where he'd literally have to start all over, although, at least Sirius and hopefully Hermione would be talking to him. Although, he still hadn't talked to her since the accident and was doubtful she'd want to be with someone like him.

He couldn't deny liking the fact that he was being taken to the station by a parent for a change, even if said parent was being forced to ride in the compartment with him. Albus had stopped by at one point to make it clear that neither Sirius nor Silas were to be left alone on the train, especially with Malfoy and his cronies running around. He chose the last compartment so that very few people would find him besides his friends. At the moment, he still wasn't sure what had happened to Ron, and that made him nervous.

A few minutes later Hermione came walking in, closely followed by the Harry clone, Sirius.

"Silas!" Hermione cried, running over and enveloping him in a big hug, followed by his godfather. This made Remus breath easily knowing that those two were fine with his son, and that Sirius could easily dislodge Ron if there was a problem.

"Hey 'mione, Si-Harry," Silas corrected himself, knowing a slip up like that where people were could be deadly. He was eternally grateful for Hermione even associating with him and didn't want to let her go. Unfortunately, the train started with a lurch, sending him backwards into the seat. Ginny wandered in a few minutes later and smiled to the group.

"Hey Ginny," he muttered, thinking she was giving him the cold shoulder like the rest of the Weasley family, "Whatever happened to Ron?"

"You didn't hear?! Dumbledore obliviated his memory and then right after, plunked the Sorting Hat on him and it chucked him into Slytherin! The Headmaster stopped by last night to mention that Ron wouldn't be on the train as well as what happened. Needless to say, mum wasn't very happy about him losing his Prefect badge in the process."

"Who got the new position?" Silas couldn't help but ask.

"Ahh...I think he said Dean did, but I could be wrong since I didn't get a chance to ask him yet."

"I can't wait to see the look on Malfoy's face when he sees Ron at the Slytherin's table. Ugh, sharing a room with him too! I think I'd rather die than sleep with the bastard!"

"Ginny!" Remus admonished. He didn't like the younger Malfoy, but that was no reason to swear.

Silas smiled sadly, but he too had to face the Sorting Hat and he doubted that it would listen to pleading a second time. All he could hope for was that he wasn't placed in Slytherin as that could be deadly. The other houses would be more accepting of him and wouldn't attempt to poison him with silver. That was a lesson he'd learned painfully from touching silverware Mrs. Weasley was using the one day.

Luck didn't hold out and Malfoy and his cronies decided to terrorize the inhabitants. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to have bulked up even more over the summer and even Malfoy was beginning to fill out.

"Oh look, Potty and Co," he sneered, "Can't even ride the Express without an escort. Just wait, your fan club can't always be around you."

Sirius was fuming and looking ready to attack Malfoy with some type of nasty curse, but Remus was quicker.

"Mister Malfoy, I suggest you leave before Slytherin begins the term with negative house points and you find yourself with a week of detention with Filch," Lupin growled, deftly grabbing Sirius's wand before he could use it.

"Only professors and Prefects are allowed to do that," a smirk spread on his face.

"Ahh, yes that is true, and even if I hadn't been reinstated, Hermione could do the deed, so I strongly suggest that you scram before I give Harry back his wand." Sirius of course had Silas's old wand to keep up with appearances and the young werewolf had taken a trip to Ollivander's on the trip to Diagon Alley and got a new wand, mahogany, 11" with a hair of a werewolf. This was, well, ironic.

Malfoy glanced around the compartment and saw that indeed Harry was rearmed along with Lupin, Hermione, Ginny and an unfamiliar face and decided not to risk it.

"Ugh, if I get put into Slytherin, I swear I'll relieve that hat of it's job!"

"Don't worry so much; I'm sure you'll be put back into Gryffindor where you belong," Hermione whispered to him, although, her nose was already back in a book. The rest of the trip after that was rather uneventful and Silas had fallen back asleep, as he still was exhausted.

A few hours later, they arrived and the worry in Silas grew again. How would everyone think of him, especially since they knew of his father's nature? That didn't seem promising. Smiling sadly, he separated from his friends and family to join the first years in the boats, which were once again led by Hagrid.

"Well 'ello there young Lupin. Dumbledore mentioned that I'd be leadin' yer across this here lake," Hagrid winked.

Silas smiled at the man and was glad that he had another person to still talk to, but that could be due to the fact that Hagrid liked dangerous animals. So still holding Padfoot, he climbed into one of the boats. He was glad that it wasn't raining like it had for the previous years. Soon enough they docked and were led into the castle where McGonagall greeted them.

"Oh, and Mister Lupin, we shall sort you after the first years," she added as an afterthought.

Even though he knew what to expect, it was still intimidating. He did wonder if he had been that stupid to think that he would have to wrestle a troll.

"Do you think we'll have to kill a werewolf? My brother said that his Sorting was horrible!" One of the girls piped up.

"I highly doubt that Headmaster Dumbledore would condone such utter nonsense," Silas muttered, mind not on the first years around him.

"Then what is it?!" A boy asked, looking hopeful to get information.

"As much as I should like to reassure you, it's more fun to watch you squirm," he smirked, trying to keep himself calm. A moment later McGonagall came back through the door and ushered them inside.

People could instantly tell that he wasn't a first year due to his height and continued staring as the Sorting Hat worked on separating the students. Finally, the last one was called and Silas shuddered, as he knew he'd be next. At that, Dumbledore rose in his seat, eyes twinkling, and proceeded with his announcement.

"Ahh, now I'm sure many of you are curious to whom this young lad is, and as most of you can tell, he obviously isn't a first year! He is the son of our newly reinstated Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin, who thought it'd be a good idea to bring him here. So make young Silas feel welcomed." That seemed to be all Dumbledore was divulging and he was thankful for that. McGonagall guided him forward and placed the Sorting Hat on his head.

"_**Ahh, back again, are we? Well, it's about time you finally figured out who you were. Now, you've still go that Slytherin slyness that is so prized."**_

"_Do you really think it would be smart to put me, a werewolf and hunted by Voldemort in Slytherin?"_

"_**Too true, but you definitely have gained your father's love for learning, perhaps, no, maybe no. Well, if it's not broken, don't fix it! So I shall have to say GRYFFINDOR!"**_

That left Silas feeling exceptionally better and he headed back over to the Gryffindor table where Hermione, Sirius and Ginny were waiting for him. Almost immediately, he felt himself being enveloped in a hug by Hermione.

"Hey, I need to talk to you later so meet me in the Common Room," she whispered.

"So, mate! Congrats on getting into Gryffindor and don't worry, we'll take care of you," Sirius grinned, piling food onto his plate.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Silas smirked, but dropped it as he saw quite a few curious and fearful faces on him. His breathing quickened and he tore out of the room like a bat out of hell. What he did was foolish, but at that point, all he wanted was to be out of their view. It only took him until he got to the Gryffindor Tower to realize just how stupid he'd been; he didn't know the password.

"You know, one generally doesn't know his way around Hogwarts until he is given a tour, much less exactly where the Gryffindor Tower is and the fastest route there," a friendly voice came from behind. Silas turned and saw his father standing on the stairs nearby.

"I-I know it was stupid. Just with all those stares, I couldn't stay in the room. I mean, did you see their faces? Those who know of you are probably already wondering if I'm a werewolf or not."

"Unfortunately you are probably right about that, but don't forget that you have friends who will stick by you...and me. Besides, you're still in Gryffindor so you should be more easily accepted, don't you think?"

"I suppose..." he muttered softly, tail curled in between his legs again.

"Don't worry so much! I highly doubt so many will mess with you; I mean how many want to tangle with a known werewolf?" Remus smirked and patted his son's shoulder.

"That is until someone sees this abomination and runs around the school about it," Silas mentioned, eyes downcast.

"I can't do much about that so just make sure you remember to tuck it in every morning. As for the showers, well, I'd suggest you make sure Sirius is around incase any of those idiots show up."

Silas gulped; he'd completely forgotten that he'd be showering with the others. That didn't bode well with his body and he could feel himself begin to fall into a panic attack. Remus took note of that and gently rubbed the boy's shoulders for awhile until his breathing settled down.

"Are you going to be alright? I expect Hermione and Dean will have the first years coming up soon."

"I-I think so..." Silas told him nervously- in reality he was scared out of his wits by being trapped in the same room with Dean, Seamus and Neville. He was worried that he would blow his secret right away.

"Well, in any case, the password is 'oogie-woogie,' and before you ask, no I have no clue as to what it means except for that Albus has lost it even more. But I suppose I should get moving- the crazy old codger does love his Welcome Back meetings."

"A-alright," Silas stammered, "Night dad."

"Night Silas."

With that, the man swept down the stairs and left the young werewolf to enter the common room. It didn't take long before he could hear the shrill voices of the first years, along with Hermione's. The reaction to him sitting in the common room already was comical. Most of them ran over and started bombarding him with questions of how he knew where everything was.

A small boy with mousy brown hair of course had to ask him what he was doing here now if he wasn't a first year.

"I stayed with my mum for awhile and she taught me a lot, but dad wanted me to come with him this year and the Headmaster agreed. As to why I knew where I was going, Dad gave me an in depth tour of the castle during the summer," he told them, and looked at Hermione pleadingly.

She came to his rescue and lectured the first years on the policies and such before ushering them off to their dormitories. Sirius came wandering in a moment later, looking smug.

"Harry, don't tell me you set those dungbombs off on the Slytherins already," Hermione groaned as she caught a whiff of the stench that followed him.

Sirius grinned and gave a bow, "Guilty as charged!"

"Well! Get out of here and go take a shower!"

"Fine, c'mon Silas might as well 'show' you where they are while we're at it."

"But I need to talk to him!" Hermione protested.

"Hermione, you'll understand after we get back," Sirius muttered as he grabbed Silas by the hand and dragged him out through the door.

"Hey! I wanted to talk to her!"

"Believe me, no one goes to the showers on the first night, you'll be safe, and I need an alias incase Snivellus finds me."

"Ahh, I see, well then let's go so I can't get back to talk to her."

"Dang, do you ever have it bad! And I thought Hermione was bad the week you weren't there!" Sirius chuckled.

"She missed me?" Silas stopped dead. "Even after what I did to Ron?"

"Ron was being a complete prat and you know it and Hermione was fed up with him. I'm surprised she didn't take him down herself. Ugh, that was a week from hell- a prattish Ron and a pissed off Hermione."

Silas didn't answer, but he certainly felt better, and continued along towards the baths. Once inside he realized just how dead it was in here and smiled about not being found out so early.

"Sweet Merlin, Hermione wasn't kidding!" Sirius exclaimed as Silas stepped into the water. "You could poke an eye out with that thing!"

"Oh get over it," Silas snapped, quickly washing himself and then getting back out. He unconsciously shook himself dry like a dog which sent Sirius into another fit of laughter.

"I repeat: Get over it," he scowled and claimed one of the big fluffy towels to wrap around himself as he'd forgotten to bring clothing with him.

"Oh come on! I'd be fun to streak through the halls naked. James and I used to do it and once we even charmed the clothes off of Snape during class. Wonder if he managed to go from boy to man ever..." Sirius pondered, lost in thought.

"Quite frankly, if you can ever find a way to remove this ruddy tail, I shall streak through the halls with you every night."

Sirius just shoved Silas out of the room and strutted along in all his glory. The young werewolf shook his head at his godfather and just hoped that they wouldn't be caught. That unfortunately didn't happen.

"Mister Potter! Just what do you think you are doing?!" A very indignant McGonagall exclaimed, and immediately charmed a robe about him. She dragged them both into a classroom and put up Silencing wards. "Black, you are going to kill the remainder of my sanity within the next two years. Why did you feel it necessary to streak on the first night back?"

"Ahh well, Hermione shoved me out of the common room until I took a shower. Couldn't very well grab my clothing."

"Why wouldn't she let you in?"

"Busted Sirius," Silas smirked, knowing he was in trouble now. McGonagall quirked an eyebrow and gave a piercing glance at the Harry Potter impersonator.

"I er, dungbombed the Slytherins?"

"I take back what I said; you're going to drive me crazy before the Winter Break!"

Finally she let them go, that is, after yelling at Sirius for almost blowing his cover and making sure Silas was doing alright. Both boys headed back to the common room where Hermione was waiting impatiently.

"Just what took you so long!?"

"Chill 'Mione, McGonagall caught me streaking so delayed us."

She stared at him, mouth half open and shoved them both into a small shoot-off to the room where no one would hear them.

"Sirius Black! I swear I'm going to kill you! Trying to ruin Harry's reputation like that! You'd better be glad it wasn't Snape that found you. Anyhow, why was it that Silas needed to go with you?"

"Because it would've been very bad if someone saw me," he answered and moved the towel transfigured into a cloak aside so Hermione could see.

"How...when...what happened?" She finally asked.

"Remember that day when Ron attacked me and I in turn attacked Snape? Well, this never left and they can't figure out what happened," his voice cracked at the end, fully expecting her to run away. So when she pulled him into a hug, he was completely startled.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Si, we know you're still a good person. You really thought something like this would drive me away?"

"Well, it seemed like you were afraid of me back at Grimmauld..."

"Si, they didn't tell us what had happened, just that you had attacked someone. Snape made it seem like it was intentional, but Remus explained that you had no control over the situation. It was Ron's fault for instigating you, and Snape's as well. Sorry Si, but it's going to take more than that to drive me away," Hermione said, arms crossed over her chest. Silas had a tear in his eye that even as he was, someone still loved him.

"Anyhow, we have class tomorrow and I would like to get some sleep," Hermione told them, going into her bossy tone again, and headed up to her dormitory.

"I take it that means 'go to bed'?" Sirius grinned.

"Unfortunately."

Back up in the dorms, Dean, Seamus, and Nevilled surrounded the two and asked who the new kid was and what happened to Ron. The two managed to get the story told and the others looked dumbstruck.

"He attacked you?! Because your father is a werewolf?" Dean spluttered, clearly outraged.

"No offense Harry, but that's pretty low. I'm glad he's out of here then," Neville said, smiling at Silas.

"Okay, you explained what happened to Ron, but how come this guy just suddenly showed up?" Seamus inquired, peering closely at the young werewolf.

"Oh, umm, I was being trained at home, but Dumbledore said I could come on my dad's request."

"But why wouldn't you have just come as a first year? Surely Dumbledore would've let you," Dean questioned, looking suspicious.

"Unless there was a reason and no one thought you should be here," Seamus added, making Silas feel that this had been rehearsed.

"Are you a werewolf too?" Neville asked quietly, staring Silas directly in the eye. A hand was placed on his back and he saw Sirius smile sadly at him. The young werewolf nodded.

"Well, I guess that means we have to kick you out of here once a month," Seamus grinned, holding out his hand. Silas gaped.

"You guys are all right with this?"

"Considering the fact that your father was the best DADA professor we ever had, even though he was a werewolf, has to mean not all of you guys are bad," Neville offered shyly. "He didn't laugh at me when I made mistakes in class either."

"Yea, gotta have some of those good genes running around in you. Besides, just think of what you can get away with in class!" Seamus laughed, throwing a pillow at both Sirius and Silas. That turned into a full scale pillow fight which knocked the robe off of Silas. He stood there in horror as he realized that he'd been found out already.

"You don't give use enough credit, and Harry, you should know we wouldn't care, now spill," Dean said rather harshly.

"I-I'm a born werewolf s-so there are things that we haven't been able to figure out. This is part of it. I-er when someone hits me, it triggers the change even if it isn't a full moon, so when Ron hit me...." He trailed off.

"You bit him?!" Neville asked in terror.

"No, someone else stopped me, but took the bite, but I an't tell you who. Just know that it won't happen again as we figure out how to control it," he pleaded, not wanting to lose them already.

"So what's the deal?" One of them asked.

"A large shot of whiskey in the morning," Sirius grinned mischievously, "And he's allowed to keep it in his stuff."

"That bloody rocks! You are so going to share on the weekends!" Seamus grinned at him.

"Hate to say it mates, but we have class in the morning..." Dean looked sheepish.

After saying their goodnights, Silas sat down on his bed feeling exceptionally better- not everyone would desert him. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.

"Wake up! I mean it! McGonagall would kill us if we missed the first day of classes!" Silas whined, shaking Sirius forcefully. The others had already gone down to breakfast, but Sirius refused to wake up. Mentally berating himself, Silas took out his wand, pointed it at his godfather, and chuckled evilly as a bucket of water was dumped over the sleeping figure.

"AUGH!" He screamed, jumping up and looking like a drowned rat. "You bloody prat! Just wait, I will get you back Marauder style and even daddy won't be able to help you then!"

"Oh come off it Sirius, you know I did it for the greater good, and Harry Potter would never miss his first day of classes."

"You, my friend, are a bloody goodie-two-shoes who is in desperate need of some rule breaking."

"No, that's Hermione."

"If you say so," Sirius grinned, the mischief back in his eyes.

The two wandered down to the Great Hall where there timetables had already been laid out for them. He blanched- evidently they forgot to take him out of NEWTs Potions. He couldn't do it, Snape would kill him or at least brutally maim him. And it was the first class of the day, although it was followed by DADA, and then Charms. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to fix the mistake at the moment.

"Silas, come on, we need to go before Snape decides to splash silver all over you," Hermione whispered.

The werewolf sent a mournful glance at his godfather and trudged out of the hall and down to the dank dungeons for his impending doom.

Once he stepped inside, he knew that his would be an even bigger headache as all the houses were combined into one class since there were so few. Nervously, he sat down next to Hermione and stared at the silver cauldron in front of him. Now he knew how Snape would remove him from this class.

"Hermione! Help," he pleaded, looking terrified at the thought of another silver burn. She pursed her lips momentarily and then took out her want to transfigure a couple of hankies into a pair of gloves.

"Here, these should help," she smiled and handed them over. He grinned, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and awaited his appending doom- although Hermione was grinning stupidly from the kiss. Snape billowing into the room in his classic manner and broke the good mood.

"Obviously as you are sitting in this class you have a basic understanding of this delicate branch of magic. Therefore, we shall waste no time in going over this; notes are on the board. So get to work!" He snapped, his gaze landing on Silas and dropping with pure hatred. The young werewolf didn't think it was possible, but the loathing seemed to increase. A twitch tugged at the man's lips as he spotted the gloves on Silas's hands.

"Ahh, Mister Lupin, our newest student who didn't think it was necessary to constrict to the OWL standards to be in this class. Tell me boy, just why are you wearing gloves, as the potion doesn't have any poisonous ingredients in it? Surely that must make it difficult to cut those roots properly and I don't allow other students to help," his silky voice cut through the class, silencing any noise that had already begun.

"I prefer to have gloves on at all times, sir."

"Take them off, now," he snapped in a no-nonsense tone.

"He needs to do no such thing, Severus," a calm voice said as it came from the doorway. Dumbledore peered down at Silas with a smile, reassuring him. "I mistakenly placed young Silas in this class and didn't remember until just now that his father had requested that I remove him from it. So I shall escort him to where he needs to be."

Once the two had left the dungeons, Dumbledore led him up to his office where he'd been just earlier that summer. A couple of squishy purple chairs were placed near the fireplace and both took their respective seats, while Fawkes settled back on Silas's shoulder.

"Thank you sir, I don't think I would have lasted much longer even with being sedated."

"That was inappropriate to be doing and he knows it. I shall have to have a chat with him soon to remind him that if he attempts to put students in danger, I will remove him from my staff. He may be the best Potion Master in all of Europe, but trying to beat Voldemort to your death is inexcusable."

Silas gazed into the fire for a while, idly stroking the feathers of the phoenix, and sighed heavily. "He may resort to accidentally hurting me like the Dursleys used to try. Carrying silver and then stumbling and having it land on my skin isn't too hard to do. Now that that I think of it, it would be easy for anyone to do that... Are you sure you want me back here?"

That startled Albus. "Look at me," he said gently, pulling Silas's chin up so they were looking eye to eye. "If I didn't think it was best, then you wouldn't be here. Yes, there are many who would desire your removal from here, but that isn't up to them. In addition, you are perfectly safe as you are now so don't beat yourself up over what happened in the past. No one knew that something like that could happen, so it isn't your fault. And if I know you, that is making you feel guilty."

"I suppose that makes sense..." Silas said slowly, not sure if he trusted Dumbledore's words quite yet.

"Good, now I believe your next class will be starting soon and your father would have my head if I kept you here through his lesson. And have a good day, Silas," he smiled and let the boy leave.

As he neared the door to his class, he caught site of Ron surrounded by a pack of the lesser Slytherins that he must have made friends with. Something must not have been properly obliterated as when he saw Silas, his eyes jumped with glee.

"Look guys, it's more werewolf trash just like his daddy. Why would you even bother showing your face here after hiding for the past five years? I mean, why should this school have to be at risk because of you?"

Almost ironically, Ron pulled a silver chain from his robes and faster than Silas knew he could move, wrapped it around the werewolf's right wrist and held it there. He could feel the skin burning, but blinked back the tears as best he could as he didn't want to give Ron the satisfaction of seeing him like that. Malfoy appeared at that point and glanced over with mild surprise to see the Weasley attacking the young Lupin.

"You know Weasley, next time try a silver knife. It'll make the burn deeper and kill him faster," he drawled, looking bored once again.

"Mister Malfoy, just what are you talking ab-..." Remus trailed off as he stepped out into the hallway. He caught scent of the burning flesh and saw Ron gripping something silver to his son's wrist.

"MISTER WEASLEY, KINDLY REMOVE YOUR HANDS FROM MY SON!" Remus bellowed, looking utterly outraged from the blatant attack on Silas. Ron complied with his request and let his hands drop, but the chain was still wrapped around the wrist and was dripping with blood from where the skin had already been burned through. Luckily for both werewolves, Hermione and Sirius came walking up to the room.

"Silas!" Hermione cried as she saw what had happened and rushed over to remove the chain from his wrist. It was pretty torn up from where the silver had touched and needed immediate medical attention. "Sorry, but it looks like you're going to miss your second class as well," she told him softly, running her hands through his shortened hair.

"Indeed Miss Granger. Mister Potter, would you please escort Silas to the hospital wing? I'm not sure just how well he'll be able to walk that far," Remus requested, knowing Sirius already learned most of what was on his lesson plan anyhow.

"Aye aye, professor!" Sirius grinned and led Silas back up towards the aforementioned destination.

"Good Merlin! What happened?" Pomfrey was asking a few minutes later as she saw Silas stumble into the wing, being held up by Sirius.

"Silver, fix now, questions later," the young werewolf panted, collapsing on a bed.

"Oh dear," the worry was evident in her voice as she collected the needed potions and ointments. A little later, she finished cleaning the wound and covered it with a thick bandage that would need to be reapplied every day.

"So what happened?" She turned to Sirius seeing as her patient had passed out as soon as he'd fallen on the bed.

"Weasley saw fit to wrap a silver chain around his wrist and hold it there until Remus came and stopped him. But by then it'd already chewed away at most of the skin remaining in the area. He always didn't make it up here conscious. Had it been any further, I would've been carrying him the rest of the way," Sirius growled, already thinking of ways to punish the boy for hurting his godson.

"Mister Potter, it would be best if you did not do anything drastic. Having you expelled would not do anyone a bit of good," Dumbledore mentioned, looking old once again. "Poppy, how is he?"

"It was deep, Albus, and I fear that some of the silver might have entered his blood stream. And if that's the case, I don't know if he's going to wake up," she told them with a heavy heart.

The three turned as they saw Remus flee the doorway to the hospital wing.

"Oh shit..." Sirius muttered, and ran after his friend.

"This, this is not good," Dumbledore grimaced, sitting down on the bed next to Silas's and stroked the boy's hair. "And I was worried about Severus attempting something like this, but I had completely forgotten that young Mister Weasley still had his deep aversion to non-humans. What are his chances?"

"We just have to wait, Albus, it's all we can do," she sniffled, looking to be able ready to cry.

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_**((A/N: Okay, like I said, I'm sorry about waiting so long to update, but it's hard to get time to sit down and write. I'll try to see about getting more done on weekends, but I can't make any promises.))**_


	9. The Awakening

_A/N: Okay, wow, I am so sorry that it took me so long to get this out. But I guess that's what happens when you get bogged down with papers and then finals. All that extra time studying did help though- Pulled off a 3.856 GPA. Next semester hopefully should be more time friendly as I have all morning and afternoon classes. Anyhow, on to the review replies:_

_ChristinaLupin01442: Oh geez…what kind of story would that be if I killed off my favorite young werewolf? :D I just like to scare you all._

_HecateDeMort: Thanks_

_Talons: Hehe, Ron!Torture will have to wait until the next chapter as well, it just didn't fit this one. :P_

_Sirius Maurader: Why must I do this? Because I'm evil! That's why! Hehehe. Besides, Harry always ends up in the hospital wing no matter how hard to tries to stay out of there._

_lightningbook: Come come, Scully, that's not nice. We shouldn't kill off our favorite soon to be pranking bag._

_maya100: Can't have everyone despise our favorite werewolves, now can we? Hehe. As for the tail thing, you'll learn a bit more in this chapter, but more of that comes in the next._

_Eric2: Of course Harry will live! There's no story without him! :P_

_Lady Jillyan Malfoy-Potter: Harry seems to be my personal torture bag at the moment. ::pats him:: Poor thing._

_DARKMARK33LV: Revenge will come in the next chapter. Couldn't put it in this one as there were other things that needed to be done first. Sorry it took so long. Over two months is ridiculous and I know it._

_Rachel Snape: Mmm sorry. Classes were demanding at the end of the semester._

_lovenhope: Of course Ron will get what's coming to him. Just not in this chapter._

_AsheslovesHarry: Hehe cool!_

_Modern-Day Zarcon: Thanks! Sorry it took so long to get it out again._

_Crimson Tides: Hehehe…I wasn't sure who I wanted as the father in the beginning. Having it like that kind of let people let me know which one they wanted. And to answer your other comment, Ron won't accept either of them now because of the accident in the DoM. It worked to my advantage to have him be a prat so I had the brains that attacked him in there change his way of thinking._

_MPPgrl: Heh as I've said to about half a dozen other people. In the canon books, no, Ron would not act like this. But I have him doing such as an accident from the brains attacking him back in OotP._

_Thanatos Nemesis: Thanks_

_Lady Angelique of mystiqu: Sorry about that. Classes come first._

_Azylumniaque: Hehe thanks_

_Silverscale: I have no desire to leave this one alone, but it just takes a bit for me to get chapters written up._

_SoldieroftheMoon: The thing with chapter three- Not my fault as it was there originally. Something must have changed on and it cut it out. I dud reload it. Now as for Ron and the brain thing. I'm just using it in this story, but in canon, I'm sure it didn't do anything to him._

_Ash-Crystal Moongazer: Thanks!_

_doughgurl2008: Bah ;) of course Harry will be alright. Not much of a story without the main character._

_ghostlycat543: I swear if people keep asking me this, I'm going to make an entire chapter explaining it was the fault of the brains back in OotP :P_

_Lyon: Seeing as I'm in college and not high school, the work load is more demanding and leaves me with less time to write. So it takes a bit longer for chapters to come out._

_mikindo: Thanks!_

_Okay WOW! That was a lot of reviews! But I'm not complaining :D_

_Now as for the thing with Ron: Yes, he is being a jerk, but I'm using the situation back from OotP to explain that. His encounter with the brains changed his thoughts and such as well as altering his personality._

_Now on to the story._

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"Looks rather bad, wouldn't you say?" Snape mentioned, pointing to the chestnut haired boy asleep on the bed after placing a potion on the nearby table.

"What a brilliant deduction, Severus. And here I was thinking that you were capable of so much more," Remus scowled, staggering like a drunk.

"Good Merlin, how drunk are you?" He muttered, catching his ex-lover as he collapsed.

They had, at one time, been together, although few people knew about that. The attack on Godric's Hollow had changed them both; neither wished to see anyone else they cared about get hurt so they had ended their relationship. To Snape, seeing Remus in Silas's third year was torture, which led to his abrupt hatred of the man. Now with his recent contraction of lycanthropy, as well as seeing Remus, it started to bring up old memories. The same could be said for the currently drunken fool.

"You know, you're going to have a hell of a headache come morning," Severus drawled as he placed the man on the bed near his son.

"Get me one of those goddamn potions you boast about so much then," Remus countered, still looking disoriented. Conceding, the Potions Master made for Poppy's stashes, pulled out a familiar looking sickly green vial, and poured it down the werewolf's throat. It took a few minutes, but the color started to return to Remus's cheeks.

"Thank you, Severus," he said stiffly before moving over to his son. "Why is it always him? Even if he's Silas now, trouble still seems to be attracted to him. All I want is for him to be happy again."

"As much as I despise the brat, especially for what he did to me, I will retract my statement about wanting him put down. At least he has a different personality now, and I'm thankful for that seeing as the James persona is at the utmost annoyance, especially with Black parading about," the man mentioned, a painful expression on his face as if he hadn't apologized in years.

"You know, if you do that again, someone might stop thinking of you as a cold, heartless bastard. Merlin knows it took me long enough."

"As if I care what people think of me anymore. If my new status gets out, it's likely that I'll lose my job and end up with nothing, so why should I care about people who would rather see me dead?"

Remus rubbed his forehead and made a passing glance at his son, who was still asleep. "Unfortunately that is very likely to happen seeing as someone is bound to pick up on your absences during Potions. If they time it with mine and Silas's, it will be extremely easy for someone to pick up on it. Perhaps Albus could have someone Polyjuice for you so that they couldn't tell."

Severus cocked an eyebrow approvingly. "That may very well be an easy way to hide my affliction. I shall have to make more, but there should be enough for someone to pose as myself for the first month. The problem is who shall have the fun of doing such."

"I'd say Tonks," Remus grinned cheekily.

"Are you daft, man?! I am not going to allow that woman to impersonate me! She'd completely wreck my persona with her moronic klutziness, not to mention, no women in my body!! There are just some things that shouldn't be done! Besides, don't you know what happens if a woman takes the form of a man and then does inappropriate things? No, of course you wouldn't. Anyhow, if she does, such anatomy does not revert back to the norm. And I don't want that of mine to be flaunted around on some woman's body!!!"

"Alright, alright, calm down, Sev, it was just a joke. But yes, I was ware of that side effect. What about using Shacklebolt? He should be able to pull off your cranky personality easily enough."

"Yes, I suppose that shall be acceptable," he agreed slowly, eyes catching the small boy stirring. "It looks as if I won't be rid of him after all."

Remus whipped his head over and saw the head of shaggy brown hair moving slightly, and small slits opened at his eyes. He looked very disoriented as his gaze landed on his father.

"Dad…?"

"Silas!" The werewolf cried, collapsing to his knees at the side of the bed and enveloping the young man in a hug. "I thought I lost you, so scared, you'll be okay," he babbled on, gently stroking his son's head.

"Where am I?" he mumbled, feeling a bit squashed from the embrace.

"Unfortunately you are still in the hospital wing…" He trailed off and looked at Severus. "Would you please fetch Poppy and let her know that he's awake?"

The Potions Master sneered at the pair, but complied and soon the medi-witch was hovering over her most frequent patient once more. His wrist was tightly re-bandaged and she thrust potion after potion into his hands so that he didn't have enough time to complain.

Once she was done with checking him over, she glanced down at him in almost pity. Gently placing a hand on his shoulder, Poppy turned to look at the two Lupins. "I hate to tell you this, but your wrist will never be the same. Most likely there will be a substantial amount of stiffness along with quite a bit of scarring," a tear came to her eye. "I really am sorry that it's always you, dear. Anyhow, he's not at any risk now, so why don't you take him to your quarters for the night?"

Remus nodded and gently gathered his son in his arms, much to Silas's protests. "You really think I'm going to let you walk back to my quarters after this?"

Silas was just thankful that no one saw him being carried, or he would be harassed even more. Soon enough they reached his quarters, 'firewhiskey,' and the portrait opened to let them inside. It wasn't extravagant like the rest of Hogwarts was, but rather much more like how Remus's cottage had been- somewhat musty and worn, but comfortable. Silas was placed on the couch while his father went to make some hot chocolate.

"Now that Poppy isn't around, how about you tell me how you really feel?" He smiled and ran his hand through Silas's hair.

"Sore and pretty pissed off," he grumbled, sipping the beverage in front of him. "You didn't spike this with anything, did you?"

Remus chuckled lightly, "No, I daresay you've had enough of those."

"Good, so how long is Dumbledore letting me out of classes this time?"

"Surprisingly enough, you're to be back in class tomorrow.

"Now there's a change…"

"I just think that he wants you to keep your mind off things."

"What's going on with Potions? Am I taking it or not?"

"No, Albus realized belatedly that if the two of you miss the same class more than once it could be suspicious. And the whole factor that Severus would love to slip that silver cauldron into use again…"

"Thank Merlin for small miracles," the younger werewolf sighed.

"…Unfortunately you will have private lessons with him, although, Minerva or I shall be there to supervise."

"Great, just what I wanted to hear," he grumbled and sipped the hot chocolate again.

"Sorry, Albus wanted it that way, but obviously he doesn't trust Severus as much now. But it's been a long day and you need some sleep. Good night, Silas," he smiled and patted the boy's shoulder again.

"Night dad."

-- --

"Urg, just five more minutes…"

"On no you're not going to get away with that. Come on, get up or else I'm going to wake you up Marauder Style."

The lump under the blanket didn't stir. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you…" and grinned as she charmed the blankets to start tickling the boy. Said lump moved faster than a cat in water.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," he grumped while futilely attempting to brush the snarls out of his eyes.

"Good, because breakfast is in five minutes," Remus grinned and successfully put the boy into a frenzy. Even so, they still managed to get there on time.

Silas noted that Ron wasn't at his place in the Slytherin table and wondered what had been done to him. It was likely that he was either expelled or worse, serving multiple detentions with both Snape and Filch. While Snape might not like the boy-who-lived, it wasn't likely for him to let this kind of behavior slip through his fingers.

"Silas, come over here!" Hermione smiled as she ran up to him and grabbed him by his good wrist.

"Hey mate, how you feeling?" Sirius asked, idly pushing bits of potatoes around his plate.

"Exhausted and obviously my wrist hurts."

"We were worried, really we were," she hung her head, "Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us come up to see you and I felt so guilty…" she cut off suddenly from the quick kiss that was placed on her cheek.

"Please do shut up." He grinned and sat down next to his godfather.

The look on her face was priceless from the kiss and it set her in a daze. For the rest of breakfast, it was fairly quiet and no talk of homework was heard.

"Come on then, it's time for Herbology…" Hermione grinned sheepishly and walked out next to her two friends. Once they got inside, Silas's sensitive nose immediately went haywire from all the smells that were there.

"Ahh, Mister Lupin, your father mentioned that you have allergies to some of the plants. Here, this was sent down earlier so that you wouldn't be sneezing the entire time," Professor Sprout chuckled.

He gratefully accepted the proffered potion and gulped it down so that his sense of smell was limited for the time being. They got the lucky job of working with Devil's Snare, which caused Silas and Hermione to grin at each other with knowing smiles. The class went by quickly, with minimal problems and the young werewolf was feeling a bit better.

The next class was transfiguration and Silas sighed in relief, as he knew that people wouldn't be stupid enough to try something under McGonagall's nose. She started them off for the year by having them attempt to change a glass of water into a tea cozy. It was hard seeing as they needed to change a liquid into a solid matter, which made the spell difficult to master.

For the most part, the day passed with relative ease and minimal amounts of questionings from others. He was grateful for that since it was likely that his condition was already running rampant through the halls. It was just lucky that weren't aware of how different his lycanthrope was. There was a time bomb waiting to be set off.

"Silas, Silas, would you snap out of it? C'mon, dinner time and I'm hungry!" Sirius moaned, faking a weak stance and collapsing.

"Alright, stop your whining, you prat. It's not like you need it or anything seeing as you're getting a bit pudgy."

"Hey, I am not!"

"Oh yes you are. Too much of Mrs. Weasley's home cooking."

Sirius grumbled something incoherent that was probably none too clean anyhow. As the pair headed down to the Great Hall, the snarky potions master cut them off. "Mister Lupin, I expect you at my office at 7 o'clock for your lesson tonight."

The young werewolf paled at the thought, but nodded his head numbly. Being in the dungeons did not bode well with an irritated Snape and it wasn't a pleasant thought. At least either his father or McGonagall would be there, but that didn't mean he wanted to be subjected to the tormenting of a silver cauldron again.

"Oh, don't worry so much," Sirius smirked, looking as if Christmas had come early. "Perhaps you can charm the old bat to have clean hair for once in his life. And don't forget you can always get Moony or McGonagall to help you out if he starts acting like an arse."

"Maybe I can chuck that silver cauldron at his head…" he moaned as they neared the Gryffindor table.

The young werewolf picked at his food, having lost his appetite, and glanced up mournfully at the head table. His father waved while Snape glared spitefully at both of them. Unfortunately, dinner went too fast and all too soon it was time for him to go to the dungeons.

"I really hate you guys, really, I do…" Silas groaned to Remus as he walked up.

"Really now, is that any way to say hello?" He chuckled and steered Silas through the doors.

The Potions Master snapped his head up at the sound of the door and smirked maliciously.

"Seeing as how we are doing things privately then you shall learn to make your own Wolfsbane as I daresay I have no intentions of making it for the rest of your schooling."

Silas gulped audibly and unconsciously tucked his tail in between his legs again. While it would be a needed skill and potion, his abilities at brewing were nowhere near the level of a master. Not to mention that if made incorrectly, it could very well have adverse side effects that could prove irreparable.

"Alright, wolfling, get to it. The instructions are on the board as I'm sure you'll need them." While being called "wolfling" by his friends and family was all right, hearing it from this man made his skin crawl. Not to mention, it sparked his anger level and since it was late, the effects of the alcohol were wearing thin. Faint traits of the wolf were growing in and soft growling came from his mouth as he set to work. Remus took note, but let it go, as it didn't seem to be taking a hold.

A couple of hours passed and his cauldron was issuing noxious fumes that smelled of rotten eggs and sour lemons. Silas wanted nothing more than to throw up at the smell.

"While the potion would not work, it is a better attempt than I would've given you credit for, wolfing."

Once again, Silas's body started to shift, only this time he was aware of it. His breathing quickened and he stumbled into a chair before falling over.

"Why is it happening?!" he shrieked terrified. "I had the shot! And no one hit me! I can't be around anyone anymore! Someone is going to get hurt!" He panicked.

Snape rolled his eyes, "A little late for that, is it not?"

"Severus! That is enough. You are the one who keeps instigating him," he spat as he kneeled in front of Silas and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, just calm down. That's it…"

The boy continued babbling on about the situation incoherently while Remus gently massaged his shoulders in an attempt to relax him. A bit later, his sense of awareness returned and he was capable of intelligent speech again.

"Ok, just stay calm Silas. There's no need to be worried at the moment, especially as there is no one here that could be hurt."

"Why is this happening?" the young werewolf asked, fighting back tears.

"All I have are suspicions so I can't answer that yet. How about we go see the headmaster and ask him if he knows anything?" Remus suggested, trying to get his son to relax again. He idly noted that while the wolf had dissipated, it once again left its mark on the boy. Fur ran down Silas's ankles and he had a sickening feeling that where feet had been before were now wolf paws.

Remus was given his answer as soon as his son tried to stand up and promptly fall back over from lack of balance. Without a word, he removed the shoes on Silas's feet and saw the reddish grey paws slip out. Silas stared at them in horror and covered them with his robe so that he couldn't see them anymore.

"Come on, we need to make it up to Albus's office," Remus said softly and helped the boy to his legs and made sure he had his new center of balance before letting go. He turned to the potion master, "I trust you shall not be mentioning this to anyone else besides Albus, correct?" A quick nod was sent their way and Severus left by means of a hidden door.

The pair walked in silence as they made their way towards the griffin guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office. A quick 'peppermint humbugs' gave them access to the spiraling stairway and both breathed heavily as they entered the office.

"Ahh, so why do I have the pleasure of your company this evening?" His benign smile put Silas's tortured nerves at ease for the moment at least.

"It seems we have a bit of a situation, sir, and we were hoping if you would know anything about it." Remus tugged his son's cloak up just enough for the paws to be in view. "You already know about the tail, right? All right then, well, these remained after Severus continued to provoke him into shifting once more. The problem that remains is that he was given his daily alcohol allotment and this still was able to happen. Also, there was no physical involvement between Severus and Silas which is making this even more confusing."

Albus raised a hand for Remus to stop talking, "I do not have any information at the moment for you, but I shall write to a friend of mine who has some extremely old tomes that might prove useful for this situation. Until then, please inform Miss Granger and Mister Black of this and make sure that they keep extra phials of both whiskey and calming draughts on them and ask them to keep close to young Harry."

"Thank you Albus," he muttered and turned to Silas who was drifting off to sleep at the moment. "Where do you want him to sleep for now?"

"Take him up to the Gryffindor rooms, but I'll make a small addition to the 6th year boys room where he can stay as well as Sirius if he desires."

He nodded in acknowledgement and gave his son a soft shove to wake him up. "Come on, it's late and I'm sure your dorm mates are wondering where you are."

"I…I can't!" Silas stuttered as he came back into the land of the living.

"On the contrary Harry, I shall be making a small addition within your dorm for you to stay in. I have already mentioned to your father that Mister Black is welcome to stay there as well since he is able to transform in case of problematic situations. So please go and get some needed rest."

Groggily, he nodded and with a heavy heart, made his way back to the Gryffindor common rooms where both Hermione and Sirius were waiting for him.

"Silas! There you are…It was so late and we were getting worried," Hermione cried and ran over to him and gave him a hug. He gently pushed her away and turned his head from their gazes.

Sirius frowned, "What's the matter mate?"

Silas glanced around the common room and noted that there were still people there, "I can't talk about it here. We'll have to wait until later."

"Well, let's go up to the dorms then…" Sirius muttered, fighting back a yawn.

Shifting his weight nervously, Silas followed and bid Hermione good night. The rest of the 6th year boys were already asleep which was good news to Silas.

"Hey, since when has that door been there?" Sirius asked, going over towards it.

"Oh, umm, I guess it's where I'm staying now," he mumbled softly and going inside. Sirius of course followed. "Dumbledore doesn't want an accident to happen so he made sure I have a separate room. Though you're welcome here since you can change."

"Accident?"

Sirius starred in bewilderment as the young werewolf raised up his robe and exposed his paws.

"Just what happened?!"

* * *

_And you'll just have to wait until next time for Sirius's reaction. At least it's not a nasty cliffhanger like last time. And sorry about the fact that it's shorter than the rest of the chapters…Not like me to have such a short one. Anyhow, leave me a nice review ;) and maybe I can try to get the next one out a lot earlier. _


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